Beast Lord
by Ceres K
Summary: Warning: OotP Spoilers After his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry is getting worse and worse. Fortunately for Harry, a certain Phoenix decides to do something about it. Rating just to be safe. Not your average Independent!Super!Harry fic. Will be HG, RH
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and World belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling

"He is getting worse, Fawkes."

The Phoenix chirped sadly, and nodded towards the white owl that had brought the message to him. "Thank you, Hedwig. How bad is it getting?"

The owl hooted sadly. "He has nightmares almost every night. When he wakes up, his relatives shout at him. Apart from the usual letter sent every three days, I'm not being used to do anything. And he takes it all without complaint. I believe he is almost, if not totally, broken."

The Phoenix nodded sadly, then turned to the others assembled. "I believe we have no choice but to do the plan. If we delay any longer, it could be too late."

Around the clearing, the animals nodded. They clearly had no possible alternative. Not that they wouldn't do what was asked of them gladly, it's just that they wished they'd never have to.

All animals in the Forbidden Forest were represented at these meetings. Fawkes was the eldest one, and so was the leader. He called any meetings aside from the annual ones they had. And everyone came. Old rivalries were set aside, and natural predator-prey relationships halted for the meeting and two hours afterward, to give any prey a fair chance.

"Fawkes, when will we do this?" Fawkes turned and looked at the Griffin. And looked around again. All eyes were on him, from the small Snidget to the largest Dragon. Creatures that magical folk would call magical were there, as well as some of the more normal type of forest animals. The Snowy Owl called Hedwig was really not a part of the council, but was a guest of Fawkes.

Fawkes straightened, his head lifting. All recognized their leader. "When Hedwig next comes. Hedwig, go back to Harry. Try to keep his spirits up. We will do the transfer then. Everyone else, prepare. The fate of our world is at hand. Thank you for coming, everyone, I appreciate it. You are dismissed."

Hedwig flew off, and the rest of the animals left the clearing, heading for their homes deeper into what the humans called the Forbidden Forest. Fawkes himself headed back to Castle Hogwarts, thinking about what they were about to do.

Well, how do you like it? Please review.


	2. Number Four, the Transfer, and Invasion

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and world belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

(A/N: I will try to update every other day or so. I have school, and I need to pass, you see. Note: This will not have any Slash in it. Just if you were concerned.)

Chapter 1: Number Four, the Transfer, and Invasion

The weather around Privet Drive in Little Whinging was just downright strange. Residents on the street didn't really remember exactly when it began, but all agreed it had started about the beginning of summer.

The drought from last summer was wished for, preferable over the constant rain that came nearly every day. As soon as the sun made an appearance, clouds came, covered up the rays of gold, and rained down on Privet Drive. When the sun sank into the horizon, however, the clouds stopped their downpour, faded away, and allowed the stars to come out more brilliantly than ever in the clear sky.

Three of the residents of Number Four had their suspicions about the happenings, but could not place blame where it was not warranted. The fourth resident was clueless about these happenings, and was currently lying down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

His name was Harry Potter, and he was far from normal. In fact, he was a wizard, freshly out of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was also not a normal wizard, but considered a hero since the age of one, where he defeated the darkest wizard of the time, Lord Voldemort. Since then, Harry had come across Voldemort four more times, and was still breathing. Which was a miracle all by itself, as far as Harry and most others thought.

Harry closed his eyes as another wave of emotional pain hit him. Why did Sirius have to die? The images played through his head yet another time; Sirius, laughing as he battled his cousin in the Department of Mysteries, then the stunned look on his face as the spell hit him which knocked him back, back into the mysterious veil. When it all came down, Sirius was dead. And it was all Harry's fault.

Or so he himself believed. If only he had tried a little harder with Occlumency, only stopped to think about Sirius's Christmas gift, only thought before rushing off to save someone that didn't need saving.

And then that stupid prophesy… Voldemort had given Harry a false vision, just so that he could rush off to the Department of Mysteries, and retrieve a prophecy made about the two of them. It was destroyed in the ensuing battle between the Death Eaters, Voldemort's servants, and Harry and his friends. Yes, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry's two best friends, had come along, as had Ron's sister Ginny, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom. More like forced Harry to let them go. But they were a big help against the Death Eaters. No one walked away completely unscathed, all for a broken bit of glass.

But the worst part came after the battle. Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, had taken Harry up to his office, and revealed that he knew the prophecy in its entirety. And showed Harry what the prophecy said through the use of a pensieve. All summed up, Harry was the only one who could defeat Voldemort, and he would either have to kill or be killed.

Harry wiped away a tear that fell. Ever since he had come back from school, the memories of that recent event, and one from a year before, haunted him. In the daytime, he relived those awful moments again and again. At night… those memories mingled with nightmares, and sessions Voldemort had with his Death Eaters.

His muggle relatives weren't really helping. They didn't even seem to notice anything was wrong, and treated him only a bit better than normal; giving him chores, and the bare amount of food needed to survive. For that, he was actually kind of thankful; anyone from the Wizarding World would have treated him like he was glass. But it still didn't help his current condition.

As a white owl flew the window, Harry straightened. His first friend, and the only thing that brightened his day was a Snowy Owl named Hedwig. She seemed to be the only constant in Harry's life, one he was glad of. Hedwig also brought news from what Harry liked to call "the outside world."

"Hey Hedwig. Did you deliver the letter?" Yesterday was a third day. Every third day he had to send a letter to the Order of the Phoenix, also known to Harry as his "watchdogs," so that they wouldn't bug the Dursley's, Harry's relatives.

Hedwig hooted softly, then flew to Harry's shoulder, where she looked at the tear trails on his face. As he reached up to pet her feathers, Hedwig pecked at him gently. Harry had by now learned to almost understand the owl, due to their long summers together.

"You're annoyed with me?" Hoot. "Why?" Shake of head. "Oh, you're not going to tell me, eh?" Another shake. "Oh, fine." Stroke of face with a wing. "I love you too, Hedwig."

Hedwig flew to her perch, and observed Harry. He hadn't even noticed that there was a storm going outside. The owl shook her head in alarm. In a few days, she would be off, and then Harry would get better. Oh, Hedwig knew of what happened, due to Harry's mutterings and dreams, but somehow knew that Fawkes's plan would work. It had to, or else all of them would be in big trouble.

Harry went back to his bed, where he continued his watch of the ceiling, occasionally through blurry eyes as the memories repeated themselves over and over again.

As soon as he woke up a few days later, Harry knew something was up. For one, he woke up without pain, yet he knew he dreamed about Voldemort's little meetings. Usually, the curses cast by Voldemort reflected a little back to him.

There was also the fact that he could make out all of the little items in his small room. It was 3:00 AM, dark, and he didn't have his glasses on. Harry could also detect a faint odor of parchment and ink, as well as some potions ingredients. All of those were in his trunk, which was downstairs and locked in the cupboard under the stairs. He also realized that the muffled thudding he heard was his owl Hedwig's heartbeat.

When Harry got out of his bed in alarm, he noticed a few more things had changed. He was extremely flexible, for one thing. There was now a noticeable muscle tone in his arms and legs, although not so much that it was obscene. The floor under his feet, which he thought was smooth, was, according to his feet, really, really rough. It still looked semi-smooth, though.

Harry looked around, just a little bit scared. He was pretty sure that puberty wasn't supposed to do these things, or show up so fast. And he knew of no magic spell that could do anything close to this. "What's going on?"

"_Oh good, the transfer worked!_" Harry spun around at the voice. There was no one in the room, except for him. "_Fawkes will be pleased._" Harry rotated his head, and his mouth dropped open. Hedwig, his Snowy Owl, was looking straight at him.

"Hedwig… was that you?" Harry asked, thinking he was going just a bit crazy.

The Owl blinked. "_Well, who else would it be?_" She replied reasonably.

Harry crawled back up onto his bed, shaking. "But… how can I hear you? Maybe this is a dream. A really, strange, odd, dream…"

Hedwig sighed inwardly. He didn't understand. But she had told him this would happen… When she thought about it, she ruffled her wings in irritation with herself. Yes, she had told it to him, but that was before the transfer, so he couldn't possibly know what's going on.

"_Harry, I'll just sum it up for you. Fawkes and I were worried about you, so he called a Beast Council meeting. Everyone agreed on a plan, which just came into effect last night. All of the magical beasts and creatures on the Beast Council would decide upon a gift or two to give you along with all of their knowledge. Then Fawkes used some ancient ritual to transfer those gifts and knowledge to you while you slept. That's why you feel so different, and you can understand._" When Hedwig looked over, she saw Harry shut his eyes determinedly. The Owl huffed, flew over, and pecked Harry on the head. "_Were you even listening?_"

Harry winced, and rubbed a hand over where Hedwig had pecked him. "Yeah, something about a transfer. And Fawkes…"

Hedwig did the owl equivalent of rolling her eyes. "_You're impossible, Harry. Maybe if you get some sleep, you'll retain information better in the morning._"

Harry agreed, and went to sleep, still suspecting that this was all some sort of dream.

The second time Harry opened his eyes, he didn't know what woke him up. The sun was just starting to rise. By all rights, he should have had at least another hour or so of sleep. Hedwig, in the corner, was sleeping. The snores he heard from the other three occupants in the house indicated that they were sleeping. So why wasn't he?

Out of instinct, Harry grabbed for his wand on the bedside table. All of his senses were on full alert, hackles raised. Wand in hand, he crept silently toward the door. Carefully, he opened it.

The sound of a muffled charm came to his ears. Harry made a quick decision, and then went back into his room. He nudged Hedwig awake, clamping her beak together to keep her silent. "_Harry? What's going on?_" She seemed to say, startled.

Harry shook his head. So it wasn't just a dream. "Hedwig, I need you to be very quiet, and very fast. Some people are downstairs that don't need to be. Grab the red ribbon on the way out." Harry's whisper was so low that even Hedwig had to strain to hear. Hedwig nodded, and flew out the open window, claws catching the red ribbon on the window sill on her way out.

Then Harry exited the room again, and flicked his wand, silently casting the spells he needed. If he were lucky, someone from the Ministry would come, and bring help with them.

Hiding himself from the view from the bottom of the stairs, he was ready when the dark forms made their way up the stairs.

"So, how do you like my home?"

The statement made the forms jump, one falling back down the stairs. Those in front whirled to see Harry, his wand at the ready.

"Potter!" Harry restrained his anger at the sound of _that_ voice. It would do no good to lose control now. He schooled his face to become impassive, as he watched Bellatrix Lestrange take off her white, Death Eater's mask.

* * *

A big thanks to my first three reviews!

neosildrake: Thank you for reviewing. I hope this meets your expectations. The first chapter was really just a prologue, and didn't need to be all that long. There won't be any more that short, I promise.

StormFirestar: Thanks. I'm flattered you like it.

lmill123: Thank you. There are a few exceptions on the animals... Nagini, for one. Also, not all animal species in the world live in the Forbidden Forest. Just most of them. ;-) You also asked a very good question, which I had to work out. First of all, I don't know when Fawkes became Dumbledore's Phoenix. I'm just going to say that Fawkes was attracted to Dumbledore's Light aura during the final battle with Grindelwald. Before that, there were no other Phoenixes nearby, and the Beast Council must have a Phoenix to call them all together. So, he didn't get help during Grindelwald's reign. During the first rise of Voldemort, Fawkes tried to get the Beast Council to act, but they were cautious, and so didn't. Once they realized that Voldemort was going to attack Hogwarts (the Forbidden Forest along with it), they prepared to act, but Voldemort made a quick stop on the way. I'm sure you can guess where he stopped. cough Godric's Hollow cough. Since then, the Beast Council only needed to have its annual meetings. When Harry went to Hogwarts, he was carefully watched by Fawkes and the denizens of the Forbidden Forest. After five years, and the events of OotP, the Beast Council decided to go ahead with Fawkes' suggestion to use an ancient spell that the Phoenix knew (the transfer) on Harry. As for Dumbledore... let's just say that you were right, and the Beast Council wasn't too impressed with him.

Well, that's all who reviewed (at the time I'm writing this). Please, if you like, review! Questions and _constructive_ criticism appreciated.


	3. Mortal Kombat! Er the Fight

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and world belong to J.K. Rowling. I don't own Mortal Kombat (nor do I know who does...). I also don't own a phrase in here thatIborrowed from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean (by Disney) and adapted it to fit my purpose.

(A/N: Whew... I'll try to get in a chapter when I can. I have things to do in order for me to pass my junior year. Oh, and do you think I covered everything in my disclaimer? Kudos to those who know the phrase I'm talking about... it just seemed to fit so perfectly when I was writing...)

Chapter 2: Mortal Kombat! Er…the Fight

"Yes, Trixie?" Harry replied, his calm voice belying the anger churning deep within.

The Death Eater grew angrier. "Don't call me that, baby Potter!"

Harry grinned at her obvious anger. "I'll call you whatever I want to, Trixie. After all, this is my house." His grin grew wider at her furious expression.

Time seemed to slow as he heard her heartbeat quicken, and her muscles flex and strain. He saw her eyes widen just a fraction, and saw the signal she gave behind her back. He heard the air come up through the lungs, through the voice box to say the words… Harry ducked

"Avada Kedavra!" Time sped back up, as the curse flew from the wand pointing at Harry. But Harry was no longer there. The wall behind where he had been standing blew up as the green light hit it.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, and Bellatrix flew back into her fellow Death Eaters as her wand floated to Harry's outstretched hand. '_How in the world did I do that?_' Harry wondered, but banished the thought as he ducked another curse.

"Stupefy!" Harry put a shield up, which bounced the curse back upon its caster. He then sent off a stunning curse of his own, which took down a Death Eater who was about to cast a curse.

As Harry and the Death Eaters continued exchanging spells, the Dursleys were watching, wide-eyed, from their separate bedroom doors at the eyehole. When the talking woke them up, they were furious, and tried to get out the door to tell Harry and whoever was out there to go away. When they tried to open the door, however, it stayed shut, and a note appeared in front of them. They were, of course, appalled by the flagrant use of magic, but were fearful of doing anything else. Then they read the note. In it, Harry explained that yes, he had used magic on the doors to keep them silent and shut. There were bad wizards in the house, ones who wouldn't hesitate to kill non-magic folk like the Dursleys' in their sleep. So, Harry had put the charms up, and left a note to appear whenever they tried to open the door. He asked that they please, try to remain quiet, so he could make sure that he wasn't distracted during the sure-to-come battle. And, if they didn't believe him, he wrote, they could look through an eyehole that was only on their side of the door.

They did. And they saw Harry using his wand, flinging different beams of light at the people in black robes… Death Eaters, Harry called them in his letter. It was apparent by the scorches in the wall behind him that he was telling the truth. And suddenly all three Dursleys' were glad that Harry was there to protect them.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Each curse found its mark, and three Death Eaters fell. Harry ducked and cast a shield charm as another Death Eater tried to curse Harry. The curse rebounded, felling another Death Eater.

Harry was trying hard to get them all down, but it seemed that when one fell, another joined the fight. To his credit, there were more Death Eaters down than fighting.

Harry sensed someone coming up behind him, and ducked. He stared at the sickly green light as it sped over him, and hit a Death Eater. "Curses, Potter, why can't you stay still! That almost got you!"

"Not much incentive for me to stay still, now is it?" Harry retorted, and stunned Bellatrix, who hadpicked up her wand from where Harry had dropped it during the fightand made her way behind him. He turned around, and quickly cast a shield charm, but it broke as the Imperius Curse hit him.

'_Stand still!' _A voice in Harry's mind urged him. Harry chuckled. "Not a snowball's chance in Hades." He replied, out loud, to the caster. The Death Eater fell with a well-sent stunner.

There were only a few Death Eaters left standing that weren't injured. Both sides paused, and Harry took a chance to subtly look around, while still keeping one eye the standing Death Eaters. Most of the Death Eaters on the floor were stunned. A few others were lying down because of injuries. Some were dead, hit by Killing Curses that Harry had avoided. Harry sent stunning spells at those who were still conscious on the floor.

"Would you just like to surrender now? You won't win, you know." Harry stated the obvious. Harry had a shield charm on, just in case. He also heard a hoot coming from inside his room. He smiled.

One of the still-standing Death Eaters sneered. "It's five against one. It's you who won't win."

"Actually, I believe your odds are wrong. It's five against seven. Mr. Potter was right." The Death Eater turned in time to see an Auror send a stunning spell at him. The five other Aurors followed the first's example, stunning the remaining Death Eaters. Harry was relieved to see that the lead Auror was Kingsley Shacklebolt, also an Order member.

"Now, Mr. Potter, would you please surrender you wand?" Kingsley turned to him.

Harry gripped his wand tightly. "Not until you tell me what you're going to do with me and my wand."

Kingsley sighed. "I'm going to perform Priori Incatatem, to check your wand for some of the spells we've registered at this address."

Harry decided to err on the side of caution. "Only if you give me your wand first."

A chuckle that Harry recognized sounded. "Doesn't miss a trick, that Potter. Potter, what did Dumbledore use for a Portkey in the Ministry to send you back?"

Harry grinned. Mad-Eye Moody was still as paranoid as ever. "The head of the wizard statue of that fountain. Where did you put your eye last summer?"

The Aurors blinked in surprise as Moody laughed. "In a glass of water in this very house. Wands down, Aurors, this is the real Potter. You can be sure that he didn't do any dark magic around here."

Kingsley sighed again. "We know he didn't, but we still want to get his wand signature to compare with the magical residue around this place."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I named my condition, Auror. You want my wand, we trade for it."

Kingsley motioned with his hands, and the Aurors' wands rose. He held out his wand in one hand, and opened the other. Harry stepped forward, aware of the wands following him, and placed his wand in the open hand while grabbing Kingsley's, and stepped back.

Kingsley borrowed a wand from one of the other Aurors, and waved it over Harry's. A small, ghostly image of a stunner appeared. Another wave made the wand glow gold. Immediately, another Auror with a wand performed a spell. The hallway and stairs filled with different glows in different shapes instantly. Harry raised Kingsley's wand, ready to defend himself if needed, although with the five other wands trained on him, it wouldn't help much.

Kingsley directed the borrowed wand at Harry as the other Aurors spread out and searched everywhere. In a few seconds, they all came back. "His wand is all clear, sir. There is also no taint of gold in any of the dark spells hear. He's clean."

The wands lowered, and Kingsley traded back wands with the Auror, and then Harry. "Sorry about that, Mr. Potter. Nothing personal, but we had to do our duty."

Harry nodded. "Understood, Auror… Shacklebolt, was it? I'm sure you have questions for me, but that'll have to wait just a second."

The Aurors were about to protest, and drew their wands as Harry aimed at something. "Finite Incatatem!" The doors to the Dursley's room sprung open, and the occupants spilled out. The Dursleys' found themselves at the end of seven wands, as Harry hadn't put his away yet.

"Harry, are you all right? And what happened?" Aunt Petunia had the guts to ask. Harry had to admire her for it.

"Aurors, stand down. These are my relatives. They're muggles, but they've already been informed of the Wizarding World." Harry told the Aurors. Wands lowered again. Some started checking the bodes of the fallen Death Eaters for anything very carefully.

"I'm fine, Aunt Petunia. The Aurors here are just making sure that the Death Eaters won't get away. None of them will hurt you." Moody chuckled even as he cautiously picked up one of the stunned Death Eater's wands. Even he could hear the implied threat directed toward the Aurors.

Harry continued. "It would probably be best if you, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley went back to sleep. I'll make sure that all of them are removed, and that the proper repairs are done." Soothed by his words, and by what they had just seen, the Dursleys' went back into their rooms, and shut the door.

Kingsley had by then counted the bodies. "Potter, you took on twenty Death Eaters by yourself?"

Harry turned back around and shrugged. "Were there really that many? Well, yes, I guess. But really, mostly all I had to do was duck, shoot, and shield. They really just kind of took out themselves with their own curses."

Kingsley blinked and chuckled. The rest of the Aurors stared in disbelief. "Very well, Mr. Potter. We'll take it from here. Dawlish, Williamson, get the bodies together and bind them up. Moody, go with them and put them in separate cells in holding area three. Penberthy and Walters, start repairing. Mr. Potter, if you'd please just move to the side…"

Harry obliged, and watched as Moody and two other Aurors gathered up the bodies and Apparated them away. Two more Aurors went about doing repairing charms, making the area look as it was before. Kingsley inspected the area with his wand, trying to figure out what exactly happened. When the two Aurors were done repairing, Kingsley turned to Harry.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. You've done a lot of us a favor by capturing those Death Eaters. We might have questions for you later on. For now, we ask that you please stay in your home and speak to no one until an owl informs you other wise. Have a nice day."

Harry blinked as the two Aurors Disapparated, and was ushered to his room by Kingsley. "Harry, what in the world happened? Professor Dumbledore swore you'd be safe! And how in the world did you do all that?" Kinglsey waved his hands vaguely in the direction of the hall.

Anger built up in Harry. First he was being treated like an adult, and now like a kid? His voice turned icy. "Mr. Potter would like to remind Auror Shacklebolt that he was instructed to keep silent about the matter. Mr. Potter also prefers to be treated like an adult."

Kingsley shivered, and decided not to press for information. The Aurorhad knownJames Potter, and knew that the last Potter sounded exactly like his dad when he got mad. And if Harry could take out twenty Death Eaters when he wasn't ticked off… well, it just didn't seem to bode well for him if he talked to Harry right now. He Disapparated away as well, still slightly in awe of Harry.

Harry was left standing in his room, alone except for a Snowy Owl and his own anger.

* * *

Well, there it is... I'll try to update soon, but like I said above, I have things I need to do to pass my junior year. And my parents will skin me alive if I don't. So, if you want this fic to continue, please be patient.

I also discovered that writers _do_ live for reviews! I was so excited to read those reviews... anyway, thanks for reading.

athenakitty: Wow! I'm glad you're interested! I already kinda answered your first question in this chapter (Kingsley), but the other two... you'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully you'll like them when they come. Thanks for reviewing!

bandgsecurtiyaw: Thanks! I'm very flattered. Those two words brightened up my day. Thanks for reviewing!

PsychicLunar: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Like I said, I'll try to update again soon, but school is rearing its ugly head (honestly, for two more weeks, school still manages to kick my tail...) Thanks for reviewing!

Thanks for reading! Please review! I love to hear from my audience!


	4. Teacher Hedwig and a few letters

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Harry Potter and world belong to the awesome J.K. Rowling.

(A/N: Thanks for being patient! Here's a longer chapter, as a reward!)

Chapter 3: Teacher Hedwig and a few letters

Hedwig watched Harry for half an hour before she decided to say something. "_For crying out loud, Harry, stop it. I can fell your anger all the way over here._"

Harry reminded himself not to take out his anger on Hedwig. "They're treating me like a child, even though I just took on twenty Death Eaters and lived to tell the tale! I also faced Voldemort, what is it, five times now? And they still think that I can't even manage to cast a simple spell." Harry resumed pacing; making a path through the feathers that filled the room after his pillow exploded from his accidental magic.

"_Well, you can still calm down. They're just concerned about you. If it's any consolation, I think you did marvelously._" Hedwig responded.

Harry grumbled. "They could at least have a little faith…" At Hedwig's warning glare, he relented, and dropped his rant. "Thanks Hedwig. You didn't do too bad yourself. How did the Order receive the ribbon?"

Hedwig moved her wings slightly. "_Oh, they were frantic. It was about then that Kingsley stopped by, saying that the Ministry was picking up some spells from your place. When he saw the ribbon, he cursed and ran off. Moody decided to follow Kingsley._" Her voice sounded almost amused.

Harry snickered. "I did wonder why Moody, a _retired_ Auror was there."

Hedwig inclined her head. "_Yes, although I believe I heard something about him itching to get into action._"

Harry nodded, then frowned. "Speaking of action, during the fight… some weird things happened to me. Actually, it really started before the fight. See, when I woke up, I didn't know what caused it. I grabbed my wand, and crept silently out of my room. And I heard the charm 'Alohomora' as it was whispered from outside the front door from the top of the stairs."

"_Ah good, I thought as much. Please continue, Harry. I'll explain later._" Hedwig told her master.

Harry started pacing again, but thoughtfully this time. "That was when I sent you and set up the charms on the Dursleys' doors. Then, when they came up to the top of the stairwell, I exchanged a few words with Bellatrix…" He trailed off as he fought the anger in him. "Hedwig, time seemed to slow down. I _heard_ her heartbeat speed up and her muscles stretch. I _heard_ her breath travel from lungs to voice box, and _knew_ what words she was about to say. I _saw_ her eyes widen just a fraction, and her hands make a signal _behind_ _her back_! Then time seemed to speed up again… Hedwig, what in the world happened there?"

The Snowy Owl seemed inordinately pleased with herself. "_That was the effects of the transfer, although I didn't really expect that much to be active so soon. Harry, I'm very proud of you._"

Harry sighed in frustration. "Thanks… I think. Now, would you please explain to me what the bloody heck you mean by 'transfer'? I believe the last time you explained the darn thing; I was half asleep and semi-dreaming. And feel free to go into detail, please."

Hedwig shuffled on her perch, trying to find a more comfortable position. She sighed, and settled down. "_I don't know much, only what Fawkes told me. I'll try to make it clear to you._

"_Anyway, the transfer is an ancient spell that Fawkes knows. It basically takes whatever is chosen from one group, copies, and places the copy in another group. Fawkes gathered the Beast Council, and proposed this idea to them. Let me add that this wasn't just a split-second decision. Fawkes had this idea floating around in the heads of the Beast Council for a few years now._"

Harry blinked. "What's this Beast Council? And what did they 'transfer' into me?"

"_The Beast Council is a very old institution. Fawkes doesn't even know how long it's been around. And he's the bloody leader. See, only a Phoenix can be the leader for the Beast Council. The Council is made up of all creatures that can think for themselves in a specific area. In this case, that's the Forbidden Forest. Every year, at a pre-arranged time, the leaders of the various species meet in a place picked by the leader. There are also meetings that the leader, Fawkes, can call anytime, provided there is a need._"

Hedwig took a brief break to sip some water from her cage bowl. "_Fawkes has been calling these meetings almost regularly since Hogwarts let out. I've been attending as his guest. As for what the Council transferred into you, I have a few ideas, but not much._"

"Can you tell me what those ideas are?" Harry was trying to be patient, and commended himself for his effort so far.

"_Sorry, I can't. Fawkes has ordered me to keep quiet on your transfer abilities. I'm afraid you'll have to work on it by yourself._" Hedwig told Harry.

The wizard took a deep breath to calm down. "So you're saying I'm to be left completely in the dark?"

Hedwig shook her head. "_No, I said I can't tell you what your abilities are, and that you'll have to figure them out yourself. I can help you a bit, you know, drop clues, but I can't outright tell you._"

Harry closed his eyes, and put his hand to his face. "Okay, answer this. Am I correct in my assumptions that the Council transferred physical abilities, like enhanced senses and so forth?"

Hedwig looked pleased. "_Very good, Harry. Yes, they did._" She was proud at her master for figuring that out.

"But are the abilities just physical? Or are there more than?" Harry asked, mind racing.

"_I cannot say._" Hedwig said, although her body language told Harry that he was correct; there were more than physical abilities that went through the transfer.

Harry sighed. "Okay. Now that my curiosity is only mildly sated, when should I expect an owl from the Ministry?"

Just then, an official-looking owl swooped through the open window. "_Hello, Hedwig. How are you?_"

Hedwig shot an amused glance at Harry. "_I'm fine, Numa. Harry, this is Numa, a friend of mine. Numa, Harry._"

The owl blinked, looking shocked. Harry smiled at the sight. "Hello, Numa. How are you?"

"_How could he possibly understand us? He's a hum… He knew my name. And spoke right after you._" Numa was about to dismiss Hedwig's actions, but when Harry spoke, the owl knew it was true.

Hedwig looked cheerful. "_Yes, yes he did. Anyway, the Beast Council performed some sort of transfer spell. Oh, and he's supposed to figure out the abilities all on his own._"

Numa shrugged her wings. "_Fine by me. Nice to meet you, Harry, I'm Numa. And don't believe anything she says about me. Here's your letter._" The owl held out her leg, and Harry took the attached parchment. Then the owl nodded at Hedwig and Harry. "_Well, I'm off. See you later, Hedwig. Once again, nice to meet you, Harry._" The owl flew off.

Harry opened the letter and read:

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We have received intelligence that you performed a variety of spells at fifteen minutes past seven this morning in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of Muggles._

_Although this normally would mean your expelling from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry does not have that power. You are being allowed to retain your wand, based on the testimony of some of the Ministry representatives that investigated your use of magic._

_As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 10 A.M. on June 23rd._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Yours sincerely,_

Mafalda Hopkirk 

_IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE_

_Ministry of Magic_

Harry snorted. It was almost exactly like the letter he'd received a year ago, after the incident with the Dementors. "Basically says I have to go to a hearing, yet again."

Hedwig clacked her beak. "_You do seem to like those, don't you, Harry?_"

Harry stuck his tongue out at her. Then he paused, and looked toward the window. "Two more owls are coming. One from the Burrow, I believe, and the other from Hogwarts."

Sure enough, two owls swept in. One was Errol, the Weasley's family owl, who immediately collapsed on Harry's bed. The other landed next to Hedwig and stuck out his leg. "_Hedwig, Numa was saying that your human could understand us. Is that true?_"

Harry grinned as he took the letter. "I would say it is. What's your name?" Hedwig hooted softly in laughter as the owl almost fell off.

"_I am Ra, her mate. Numa said that the Council gave the gift to you._" The owl hinted.

Harry nodded, as he opened the letter. Once he saw the handwriting, he closed it, and looked at Ra. "Yeah, they did. I don't understand it completely, but they did."

Ra nodded. "_The Council does have their reasons, whatever they were. I have to be off. Nice to meet you, Harry, and I'll see you at Hogwarts, Hedwig._" He flew off.

Harry moved to untie the letter from Errol, picked him up, and set him in Hedwig's cage. The old owl hooted its thanks, and began drinking water.

Harry grinned as he read Ron's letter.

_Harry,_

_Kingsley told Dad what happened, who told us. Congratulations, mate! And from what Dad says, the Ministry is as pleased as punch that you captured all those Death Eaters. That means they probably won't give you as hard a time as last year._

_Rumor has it that Dumbledore is going to go over to your house and talk to you about whatever it is you did. Don't worry, though, he won't do anything. I think he fears Mum. She promised to never cook him another meal if he did anything to make you upset._

_I have to go. Please write back mate, it's boring over here. And I'm always here if you need to talk._

_Ron_

Harry smiled at the thought of Professor Dumbledore cowering in front of an enraged Mrs. Weasley. The happiness of that thought allowed him to open the letter sent to him from the Headmaster.

_Harry,_

_First of all, let me congratulate you on your spectacular work. Taking on twenty Death Eaters and living to tell the tale is a great feat. Kingsley tells me that you did everything right until the Aurors got there to capture the Death Eaters._

_Second, I am sorry to ask that you remain inside your house at all times. We have no idea how the Death Eaters managed to find you, but rest assured, we are working on it. Until then, your house is the safest place for you to be._

_Last, I will be coming over to your house tomorrow to question you about the attack. It is important that I know every detail so that the Order can best protect you._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Anger coursed through Harry, and he clenched his fists. Professor Dumbledore was treating him like a child. And Harry had just about had it. Then Harry saw the postscript.

_P.S. It would also be wise for you not to let Hedwig out anymore, as there may be people watching your house._

Harry crumpled up the letter. "Hedwig, how would you feel about leaving?"

The owl hooted. "_I'm all right, but where would we go? As soon as they discover you're gone, they'll watch Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron._"

She watched as Harry started to act, packing up his trunk, and cleaning up. As he searched under the loose floorboard, he looked up at her and winked. "Yes, when they discover me. I'll be there and gone before they even start."

Hedwig settled down, and watched as he went around checking for anything he would miss. Inside, she was smirking. It was about time Harry was going independent.

A knock sounded at the door, and Harry opened it to find Aunt Petunia. "Harry? What's going on?"

"Aunt Petunia, I'm going to leave for now. It'll be much safer for the three of you if I'm not here to draw Death Eaters to you." Harry closed his trunk and locked it.

Aunt Petunia looked around his room, and sighed. "Just… be careful, Harry. I also want to thank you for this morning. I don't think we'd have made it through alive if you weren't there."

Harry was oddly touched. "You're welcome, Aunt Petunia. Oh, and if anyone comes looking for me, tell them I've left them a note on my dresser."

Aunt Petunia nodded, hesitated, then engulfed Harry in a hug, something she'd never done before. Harry stood still, shocked. "Me and Vernon and Dudley… we wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. Please, Harry, be careful." She let go, and then walked out of the room. Harry could smell the saline tears getting ready to fall.

Harry sealed and placed the letter he had pre-written to whoever came on his bed. Checking one last time for anything he might've missed, Harry tucked his wand in his jeans pocket, and left via the front door, his own invisibility cloak protecting him from the eyes of any watchers under theirs. Hedwig was perched on his shoulder, also under the cloark.

The pair maneuvered themselves quickly away from Privet Drive, and Harry called the Knight Bus.

* * *

Thanks for all your reviews! It brightens up my whole day when nice people review! It also makes me want to update more (hint, hint!)

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	5. There he goes

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and World belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

(A/N: I love y'all, I really do! All those wonderful reviews... it made me want to update sooner... hint Anyway, School is almost out, and I'm eagerly counting the days (6, if you want to know, as of this moment) Thanks for being patient, and I'll try to get the next update as soon as I write it.)

Chapter 4: There he goes…

The Headmaster of Hogwarts looked at Petunia Dursley in shock. "Harry did what?"

Petunia straightened and glared at the old man. Her husband, right behind her, put his hands on her shoulders. After the incident with the Death Eaters, and Harry's departure, the two of them were actually starting to like Harry. And they both decided to protect Harry.

"Is your hearing bad? I believe I said that Harry's gone. Ran off. Flown the coop. Left. Escaped. Take your pick." Petunia was actually slightly enjoying herself. Aside from Harry, she still didn't like wizards. Or witches for that matter.

"Where did he go?" Albus Dumbledore was having a bad day. That morning, as he was eating his early breakfast, Hedwig had flown in, red ribbon between her talons. The Headmaster immediately alerted the Order. When everyone was clamoring for answers, Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared in the fire, or rather his head did, and told his audience that there were reports of underage magic going on at Number Four Privet Drive. And according to the underage detectors, the spells that Harry was performing were battle spells. Also detected in Harry's house were all three of the Unforgivables. The room had gone silent at that news.

Alastor Moody, retired Auror, volunteered to go with the Auror group that was being sent out to investigate the "disturbance," as the Ministry called it. Kingsley accepted Moody's help, as it was well known that Moody was a superb Auror in his time, and was still pretty good. Dumbledore watched them go, silently afraid for Harry.

When they got back, however, Kingsley and Moody were stunned. Not magically, of course. It appeared that Harry had taken on twenty Death Eaters on his own, managing to knock out twelve, injure one, and duck Killing Curses, which killed two. The Aurors Stunned the last five, although it looked as if Harry was ready to finish them off as well. Moody was also full of praises for Harry's cautiousness, demanding Kingsley's wand before letting go of his own, and retorting quickly when Moody asked his identity.

The gathered Order members were in shock. First, taking on twenty Death Eaters was a feat that even ten fully trained Aurors had trouble with, and Harry managed all on his own with ease. Second, Kingsley had reported that Harry didn't have a scratch on him, although based on magical signatures; he had narrowly avoided the Cruciatus and Killing Curses, as well as several Dark Curses, which should have been possible to avoid. He was also hit by the Imperius, which no one was really worried about, since Harry had been able to throw that off since fourth year. But what really put the Order members from stunned to downright shock was Moody's praise of Harry. It was well known that Moody never, _ever_ spoke well of anyone who wasn't at least fifty behind their backs, much less to their face. For Moody to tell everyone that Harry was the best fighter he'd ever seen, and the brains to back it up was just… unnatural.

Then Dumbledore had decided to visit Harry, and ask what in the world happened. Reasoning that Harry would need the morning to calm down and relax, the Headmaster approached in the afternoon, after the time which Harry should have had lunch. He was welcomed inside politely, offered tea, and was told that Harry had run off. The Dursleys' hostile attitude toward him was understandable to him, but the way they spoke of Harry bordered on hero worship. The Headmaster realized that Harry's performance earlier that morning had impressed them, but had hoped that they would be more civil to _him_. His hopes were in vain, it appeared.

"I don't know, and I wouldn't tell you if I did." Petunia practically spat at him. Vernon stood behind her, glowering at Dumbledore, and giving her his silent support.

"Please, my lady, it is vitally important that we find Harry. Bad… people are looking for him." Dumbledore tried to stay calm.

"I tell you, I don't know. He did leave you a letter on his dresser though." Petunia remembered Harry's request that the people who came looking for him get the letter.

Dumbledore sighed in relief. This was good news. As Petunia led the way up the stairs and into Harry's small bedroom, he believed that soon Harry would be safe.

Professor Dumbledore picked up the letter on the dresser, addressed to _Professor Dumbledore, or whoever's looking for me_

Breaking the seal, Dumbledore read:

_Dear Professor Dumbledore, who whoever is reading this now,_

_I'm sure you're shocked that I ran off. I'm sure you only want me to be safe. I'm sure that you think that I'm probably lying in a dark, cold alley somewhere. You're wrong._

_Here's what I have to say to you: Bugger off. I'm perfectly fine. I handled twenty Death Eaters all by myself, and lived to tell the tale. I'm probably safer where I'm going then at Number Four. In fact, I know I am._

_So don't worry about me. I have my wand, and I'm perfectly capable of using it. I don't need your "help," and I don't need to be treated like some child that did something wrong. I'm fifteen, soon to be sixteen. I've seen more, done more, battled Voldemort more, than probably anyone in the bloody Order. I'm only young by age, not experience. So leave me alone, and don't try and find me._

_Oh, and if it's you, Dumbledore, Hedwig doesn't like you much. I'm afraid I don't like you that much either. I'm not a child; so don't treat me like one. Get that through your head._

_Harry_

Dumbledore collapsed on Harry's old bed, head in hands. No, this was not a good day.

* * *

Harry was having a wonderful day. He was finally free from the Dursley's (although they weren't that bad, those few weeks), free from Dumbledore, and free from the bloody Order.

Diagon Alley wasn't that full, as the Hogwarts supply lists were far from coming out. Still, there was a healthy crowd. After convincing Stan and Ernie, the two people conducting and driving the Knight Bus respectively, to keep quiet, he was driven to the Leaky Cauldron, the gateway to Diagon Alley. Thanks to a bandana that was left on the Knight Bus, Harry's scar was covered, and so he could walk amongst his fellow wizards and witches without fear of being discovered. And now, he was free.

His first stop was Gringotts, to withdraw enough money for what he had in mind. The goblins there were very helpful, setting up a special bag for him that would link straight to his vault. All he had to do when buying something was reach straight into the bag, say how much he wanted, and withdraw that amount. It would only work for him, though, thanks to some security spells the goblins put on the bag. All in all, it looked just like a regular moneybag, without the bulge and weight. Considering how much he was going to buy, this was a good thing.

Harry went straight to Flourish and Blott's, the bookstore. If he were going to need to fight Voldemort, he'd need to study and train. And that meant books. He bypassed the schoolbooks section: he'd get those later, and went straight to the more advanced books. Marveling at the selection, Harry picked up a few books on Occlumency and Legilmency, a few on Advanced Spells, and one on Animagi. A book on a shelf about all types of Potions also went into his hands.

The clerk at the counter barely looked at him or the books as he rang them up. Harry was glad that he had gotten the moneybag: carrying that much on him regularly would have weighed a ton. The books went into a weightless, bottomless shopping bag.

Harry's trunk also went in, as soon as he was outside. He had been lugging it around, receiving some very odd looks. When the trunk disappeared, he stopped getting such curious glances.

Harry then visited the Apothecary, stocking up on Potions ingredients, and then the Cauldron shop, making sure that he would get a good, sturdy cauldron for when he went back to Hogwarts. His old one was getting bad, becoming more unreliable, and would be used for his practice potions.

His last stop in Diagon Alley was Ollivander's, the wand shop. Stepping inside, he looked around. Mr. Ollivander was nowhere in sight, but Harry kept his guard up.

Mr. Ollivander was surprised to find his favorite "I'll sneak up behind them" trick didn't work. Right before he was about to step into the light, and scare the living daylights out of his customer, he blinked, and found a wand pointed straight between his eyes. He recognized it, and followed the wand to the owner's hand, and then to the face.

"Mr. Potter, I wasn't expecting that. I see you're making good use of your wand. Holly, eleven inches, Phoenix feather. Nice and supple. Is there anything wrong with your wand, Mr. Potter?" The old man tried to keep his breathing steady. It had been a long time since any of his customers had been able to find out where he was before he chose to reveal himself. And even longer since he'd had a wand aimed at him.

"Not really, no. Well, its brother is a problem, but my wand is behaving beautifully." Harry said, slowly smiling. Thanks to whatever the Beast Council gave him, he had heard Mr. Ollivander coming before the old man had had the chance to sneak up on him.

Ollivander breathed a sigh in relief as the wand was pulled away. "Oh yes, yew, thirteen and a half inches, Phoenix feather. Very powerful wand. What do you need, Mr. Potter?"

Harry sighed, and looked at his wand. "First, I need to know how I can perform underage magic without the Ministry knowing. Second, I either need a new wand, or I need to find a way to work around what happens when brother wands meet. Last, I need to pay for a wand that one Neville Longbottom is going to buy in the future."

Mr. Ollivander was quiet for a moment as he utilized his special talent. It wasn't very common, but in his line of work, very useful. One of the reasons he could match up one of his wands to a customer was that he could _see_ their magic. Then he would go and get a wand he believed would match that person's magic.

Mr. Ollivander had to sit down in his chair after he looked at Harry's magic. "Mr. Potter, I can help you with two out of three, and give you advice on the third. First, there is a spell, closely guarded by the Ministry, that when cast, could allow underage magic users to go undetected. I will cast that spell, and teach you the countercharm, in case you need it. Second, I'm afraid, I can't really help you with a new wand. It's illegal for me to sell a second wand without Ministry approval. I will tell you, however, that you don't really need any of my wands. You have it within yourself. Last, Mr. Longbottom's wand will be free of charge, since I have heard, rightly, that he broke it in your defense."

Harry cocked his head. "That's all well and good, but I suppose the real question is, will you tell Dumbledore?"

Mr. Ollivander smiled. "Do you want me to? No? Well then, let's get down to business. Stand still while I cast the spell…"

A while later, Harry exited Ollivander's, able to do magic, but confused about the wand maker's comment about him and a second wand. With a shrug, Harry exited Diagon Alley, and once again called the Knight Bus.

* * *

There it is! The chapter you've been waiting for (now you'll be waiting for the next chapter, I suppose... but still...)! I'm still writing this story as I go, and school is starting to wind down (and I'm trying to pass...), so I'm pretty busy these days. Please be patient, and I'll post the next chapter ASAP!

Now, on to my lovely reviewers...

bandgsecurtiyaw: Thank you! Little comments like those brighten up my day!

athenakitty: I hope I answered some of you questions in this chapter... And I didn't say that it was bad to be curious... in fact, sometimes I'm curious myself. Please, continue with your questions! It makes me think (although some of my friends would say that that's a dangerous thing... ;-) ) about what to put in the next chapter.

Bloodless Ace: Thanks! I really love comments like those...

PsychicLunar: Poor child, 4 AM? How do you live? I think it's hard getting up at 7! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter... I found it somewhat amusing, and hope you do to.

HellsMaji: Thanks! It's always a pleasure to hear people love my story. And I do try to update, but with school rearing its ugly head, and me trying to pass everything, it gets kind of hard. hopefully once the summer starts, I'll have more free time to work on it.

Larail: Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

FairyQuilan: I well understand hyperness... the greatest state of being to be in! Anyway, like I said, I'm trying to update as soon as I write the next chapter...

Well, that's it! If you've read, and liked, please review, I really love to hear from you! Seriously, your little comments brighten up my day! And I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!


	6. The Unflappable Dumbledore flapped?

Disclaimer:I think you all know it bynow. If not, look at theother chapters.

(A/N:Well, I have like 1.3 days of school left. And that'safter the weekend. See, I don't have to take finals, so I only come like anhour a day for three days! Maybe I'll spend some of that time writing a few chapters, if my readers are kind and lift my spirits with a few reviews hint hint Anyway, here's the next chapter!)

Chapter 5: The Unflappable Dumbledore flapped? You'd better believe it!

"He WHAT?" came the cry from at least three throats. No, Remus Lupin, Molly Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall were _not_ pleased. That cry was only the loudest, though. Some other, softer, similar exclamations of disbelief were heard, and pandemonium reigned.

Back at Order Headquarters, things were not going well. After calling an emergency meeting, Dumbledore broke the news about Harry's escape to the Order. After that, everything more or less went down the drain.

Professor Dumbledore held up a hand, and waited for them to quiet down. In a minute or so, the Order members did. "Mr. Potter has gone. Run away. Flown the coop. Left. Escaped. Take your pick." The Headmaster decided that right now, he wasn't feeling particularly patient, so Petunia Dursley's words suited him.

Some of the Order members blinked, shocked. After all, they had _never_ heard the elderly Headmaster sound irritated. Others decided that the Headmaster had gone completely insane. And a select few smothered grins. They silently congratulated Harry on managing to do what no one had done in over a hundred years; irritate Albus Dumbledore, as well as escaping without anyone being the wiser. Among those select few, surprisingly, was Professor Severus Snape. He still hated Harry, of course, but came almost close to feeling neutral at the sight of the unshakable Dumbledore snapping back, irritated. The Potions Professor decided to, discreetly, of course, award Gryffindor House ten points when school started back in session. Potter had earned it by annoying the man that had so irritated him, Snape thought inwardly, and smirked.

Remus Lupin decided to ponder this new development later. "Headmaster, what are we going to do?"

"First, we are going to search Diagon Alley. That would be the most natural place for Harry to go. Remus, gather a small group of five and start the search. Since Harry could not have escaped by Floo or Apparition, we will search other possible routes. Kingsley, you and Tonks check the Knight Bus. Make any excuse necessary. After that, check for Portkey usage anywhere near Harry's house. We must check all possibilities. The rest of you, wait for their reports. We'll make more plans once they've come back."

The Order nodded, and began to move. Volunteers went to Remus, to try and join his group. Tonks and Kingsley went out, and started their investigations. The rest sat and waited, anxious about Harry.

As Dumbledore went off into farther into Headquarters, a paper fell out of his pocket. Snape Summoned it, and read Harry's note to Dumbledore. He smirked. Maybe he would have to award Gryffindor twenty points instead of ten.

* * *

"_You know, I don't know whether to applaud you or scream in frustration._" Hedwig said almost conversationally from her perch atop a statue. 

Harry looked at her and grinned. "What for?"

Hedwig preened her wing. "_You managed to find a spot where no one could find you, without putting yourself in danger, and a place where if the spell from Ollivander's fails, the Ministry can't really tell. Even I didn't think of this place._"

Harry grinned again, his hand stirring the potion he was making in his cauldron. "And you're galled because you didn't think of it first. Okay, I get it."

Hedwig glared at him, then turned her attention to her other wing. "_What is that potion you're making anyway? Shouldn't you be cleaning up all this mess? Or preparing for your trial that's in two weeks?_"

Harry wrinkled his nose, and, looking quickly at the textbook in front of him, added the next ingredient. He stirred it again, this time in the opposite direction. "It's a potion to help me find out my Animagus form. I figure the sooner I find out, the sooner I can transform, and I'll have another advantage on Voldemort. As to cleaning up this mess, I'll get to that. I now have plenty of time, remember? And that trial will be a peace of cake. Trust me Hedwig, I've planned for this ahead of time. They can't get me on a thing."

Hedwig watched as Harry carefully added some other ingredient, and stoked the fire burning beneath the cauldron with his wand. Wiping his sweating forehead with his sleeve, Harry leaned back and stretched. It was a difficult potion to make, but Harry thought he had done it perfectly. It was a lot easier to make potions without Snape breathing down his neck, or Slytherin students distracting him, Harry mused.

Hedwig finally spoke. "_And the Order? They're probably not very pleased right now._"

Harry's lips curved as he removed the cauldron, and filled the vials on the small, transfigured table right next to the cauldron. For what the Animagus and Potions books recommended, the potion would have to sit at least a day for it to be effective.

"Oh, you're probably right, Hedwig. All I can say is, I don't care. They can search all they want, and they won't find me."

* * *

Hedwig was right. To say that most of the Order members were displeased was an understatement. They were furious. Kingsley and Tonks' search turned up fruitless. The Knight Bus hadn't been summoned anywhere near Privet Drive, nor had the conductors seen Harry Potter aboard. No traces of Portkey usage had shown up, and there were no reports of a flying broomstick. It seemed as if Harry had just disappeared. 

Nor had anything turned up in Diagon Alley. Harry wasn't in the Leaky Cauldron, and shopkeepers told the searchers that there wasn't any big rush of crowds around Diagon Alley, which there would have been, had Harry been spotted. Harry was not at the Burrow, either.

To all appearances, Harry had vanished into thin air. That didn't deter the Order, and instead, they brainstormed, trying to find a way to find Harry.

It was Remus who thought of Fawkes. They all watched as Dumbledore called the Phoenix to him, tied a letter to his leg, and asked Fawkes to find Harry.

* * *

Harry was making good use of "Scourgify," when his ears heard something. He cocked his head and listened for a moment. Then he grinned. 

"Hi, Fawkes. Let me guess, the Order is basically running around like headless chickens, furious about my escape, and they sent you to find me?"

The Phoenix swooped into a landing next to Hedwig. If he were a human, he would have smirked. "_Pretty much. And you don't want to be found._"

Harry paused to transfigure a bit of wood into a little chair. It was steady enough, so he turned it to face Fawkes and Hedwig, who were both looking at him with amusement in their eyes, and sat down. "Pretty much. And you aren't going to tell them." He smirked. It was more of a statement then a command.

Fawkes trilled his laughter. "_No, I won't. I guess I could lend credence to my story by sticking around a bit. They'll think I've been searching everywhere for you, and I couldn't find you._"

Harry smiled. "That would be fine with me."

"_And me._" Hedwig stated.

Fawkes was about to speak, when Harry held up his hand. "One question though: can you tell me a bit of what you and the Council transferred into me?"

Fawkes shook his head. "_Sorry Harry, but I'm not allowed to tell you what the Council put into you, as it is their gifts. I choose not to tell you what I gave you._"

Harry's mind worked at that. "Then could you introduce me to the Council members? I'd like to thank them. I have no doubt that during the Death Eater attack this morning, their gifts enabled me to survive."

Hedwig stuck out her chest. "_I've tried to explain what the transfer is Fawkes. He's already made some educated guesses about what kind of gifts were transferred into him._"

The Phoenix chirped. "_You're very smart, Harry. And I think the Council members would be honored to meet you. There is not enough time to take you to all of them, but I'd be glad to transport you to meet some._"

Hedwig ruffled her wings, and Fawkes touched her with one of his. The Snowy Owl smirked inwardly. That touch was a brief acknowledgment and thanks from Fawkes for her helping Harry out.

Harry shook his head, wondering what that was about. Fawkes flew over to him, and landed on his shoulder. Hedwig had just landed on Harry's other, when Fawkes took them both to the Forbidden Forest.

They landed right in front of something Harry knew very well. "Aragog?"

The old spider started. "_Fawkes? And this human… I know you._"

The Phoenix nodded. "_He is the one at the other end of the transfer. I believe you met him over three years ago._"

Harry gulped, remembering their meeting. If he wasn't mistaken, Aragog had wanted to eat him. He gulped again when Aragog rose on his legs and turned his head towards Harry, all of his eyes looking at the teen. The young wizard thought he saw his life flash before his eyes when Aragog's pincers started clicking in a rhythm.

In response to the beat, Acromantulas began pouring into the little glade where Aragog's lair was. They formed almost a half-sphere around Harry, finding spots all around him, even in the trees above. Harry desperately wished he could make a grab for his wand without making it seem too obvious.

Then, the ancient spider spoke. "_Young one, I know I was in the wrong the last time you visited my lair. You came in peace, at the insistence of my dear friend Hagrid, to try and help him. I ignored the law of the forest in desperation, for my children were starving and dying. I apologize._" The spider waited, obviously for Harry's response.

Harry shifted nervously. "Err… I accept your apology. After all, I'm alive, aren't I?"

The lair was filled with the sound of soft clacking, which Harry guessed to be the spiders' way of laughing.

Aragog continued. "_Yes, you are. And for that, I am glad. When we last met, you and your… friend spoke of an ancient creature that we fear to even name. Its presence was the bane of our existence, for it fed on our prey, killing us in more ways than one. And you, young one, killed it. For that, we are eternally grateful. I pledge this to you, that you will be safe in the forest, and anyone with you. You have saved many lives by defeating that monster, and for that, you will be called our kinds' friend._" From the sound of all of the spiders, they agreed.

"Thank you, Aragog. I'm glad I could help you." Harry couldn't help but feel relieved. Then he grinned. Ron would probably freak if he were in Harry's place right now.

"_I hate to interrupt this, Aragog, but I promised to take Harry to more of the Council members. Harry, any questions for Aragog before we leave?_"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I have one. What gifts did you give me in the transfer?"

The elder spider shifted, as if considering whether to answer or not. When he spoke, he spoke thoughtfully. "_That is a tough question for me to answer. Right now, I cannot. I sense that my gifts haven't awoken in you yet. When you visit me next, perhaps it will have awakened. Until then, you will have to figure it out yourself._"

Fawkes nodded in approval, and Harry couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He sighed. "Then until next we meet, Aragog. Thank you."

The old spider nodded his head, and watched as Fawkes took Harry and Hedwig away. Aragog sighed. It was tough, not telling the boy the answer to his question, but it was for the best. This way, the young one would have to search for it, and perhaps learn more about himself in the process. And that, Fawkes had told them all right before the transfer was performed, was what Harry needed to do before he took on the Evil One.

Fawkes took Harry to many of the Council members. Each one was asked by Harry to reveal the gifts they had given him. And each one refused. They all believed as Fawkes and Aragog did, that Harry would need to go on a self-discovery to find the answers, and that he would find more in the process.

As the Phoenix landed Harry back at his new home, Fawkes noticed Harry looked sad. "_I'm sorry you're disappointed, Harry, but they all had their reasons. I will tell you this, though. The answers you seek are inside yourself. I must go now, but remember what I said._" Fawkes disappeared.

Hedwig flew to what was becoming her usual perch, and Harry started transfiguring items lying around. The result was a nice, comfy bed, a bedside table, a dresser, and a little lamp. His normal bedtime was far off, but right now Harry wanted to sit and think about the events that had happened.

"The answers are inside myself?" Harry mumbled, trying to make sense of what the Phoenix had said. After about ten minutes of thinking, Harry grabbed some parchment and a quill, and started writing.

He put down all the weird events that had happened (was it only this morning?), like waking up in the middle of the night, and being able to see everything in his dark room clearly. His suddenly extraordinary sense of smell and hearing, his sensitive sense of touch joined the list. As he recalled the events of that morning, Harry jotted the weird things down, like being able to understand Hedwig. Then waking up again, and hearing a charm cast on the outside side of the front door from the top of the stairs. Time seeming to slow down as Bellatrix was about to cast that curse, and Harry hearing everything in minute detail. Him ducking and dodging curses almost unnaturally.

Harry looked at his list a few minutes later, in deep thought. Frowning at it, Harry decided to think about it later, and picked up one of the books he'd bought on Occlumency and Legilmency. The book took his mind off his weird day until it was time to go to sleep.

* * *

All of the Order members, Dumbledore included, were leaning back in their chairs, exhausted. Nothing had been found in the case of the disappearance of a Mr. Harry J. Potter. No one had seen or heard from him since that morning, when Harry told his Aunt he was leaving. Not even his relatives had any idea where he might have gone. No one had come up with any good ideas to find him. 

Dumbledore sighed and closed his eyes. He was as tired out as any of them. When he felt the claws on his shoulder, he sighed again. "Not now Fawkes, I'm tired."

The room, which was quiet except for the whispers of a few of the Order members, grew dead silent. Everyone froze. Dumbledore's slowly turned his head to see the beady eyes of Fawkes staring at him. The Phoenix gave a small chirp.

"Fawkes is back!" Suddenly the room was filled with chaos, as everyone began talking at once. The Phoenix flew up as a great number of people tried to crowd around him. He had an unmistakably scolding tone as he chattered at them. Dumbledore motioned everyone back.

"Fawkes, did you find Harry?" At the Headmaster's question, the room fell silent once more. Whispers of excitement broke loose as the Phoenix, hovering, held out his leg to Dumbledore, a parchment attached.

With great care, Dumbledore opened it, and glanced at it. His face fell, and he threw the letter on the table. There was a scramble to grab it, that Mrs. Weasley won. All ignored the Headmaster, who had buried his face in his hands. The letter was passed around in disbelief.

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Please, respond. The Order is looking for you, and we are really worried about you…

* * *

_

There you go! A nice chapter for all my nice readers! And if my nice readers would give me some nice reviews, I'd be so happy that I'd write another nice chapter! (hint HINT)

Anyway, on to my reviewers!

lone wolf blade: Thanks!

PsychicLunar: You're getting to be a regular, aren't you? As for the six days, it's now really 1.3. See explanation in AN at the beginning of the chappie. My district lets out earlier, I guess. Have fun with your field trips! Hope you like this chappie, and I'll try and get the next one up ASAP

meg: Thanks! Little comments like that make my day! As for school... I'm almost done...

HellsMaji:It depends on your definition of familiar.

Barby-Black: Thanks!

Bloodless Ace:Thank you! I appreciate that!

Well, that's all for now! Please, if you've read, review! Little comments make make my day, and make me more eager to get the next chapter up as soon as I can so I can hear more from you! (If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm trying to majorly hint that reviews make me happy, and a happy author means another chapter posted quicker. The morereviews, the happier the author.)


	7. Confrontations, Revelations, and Visitat...

Disclaimer: This is a waste of space. If you really want to see my disclaimer, look at the previous ones. From now on, I'm not going to write any more. I think I've already said it enough.

(A/N: To all my nice reviewers, here you go! A nice long chapter from a happy author. To all my readers, please review. As I said before, the more reviews, the merrier the author becomes, and the sooner she updates.)

Chapter 6: Conversations, Revelations, and Confrontations

After the letter was returned, the Order gave up. If Harry didn't want to be found, and even Fawkes couldn't find him, then he wouldn't be found unless he decided otherwise. Moody, although slightly worried about Harry, was telling everybody that the kid had guts, and would survive on his own.

Snape wasn't worried at all: if the Potter brat were killed, it would mean no more horrendous mistakes in Potions. Besides, the Professor rather thought that if the kid could defend himself against twenty Death Eaters at once, without getting harmed, he wouldn't be in serious danger without his wand.

Dumbledore had his head down on his arms when he thought of something. There was a stir of interest when his head lifted. "Arthur, what time and date is Harry's trial?"

Others were actually beginning to look slightly awake at that. The elder Weasley frowned and thought. "I believe it was on the 23rd of June. I can't remember the time, though…"

Everyone in the meeting room watched as Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his thumbs under his chin, entwined fingers, and index fingers on either side of his nose. This was the Headmaster's classic thinking pose. They wondered what was going through his head, for the Order could almost hear the gears turning, clicking, and whirring in his head.

"I do not think Harry would remember that date. If he does not show up, the Ministry will track him down. They have far more advanced ways than we to find missing persons. I don't believe they would fail. If perchance Harry does remember the date, he will come. After the trial, we can lead him back here."

Remus squirmed in his seat. They were treating Harry like a common criminal. That idea bounced around in his mind, until he grew slightly angry. "Professor, I think you're forgetting something."

Dumbledore looked at the werewolf, as did everyone else. All could hear the slightest tinge of anger in his voice. "What is that?"

Remus smiled, not friendly. "Harry managed to disappear under all of our noses, cover his tracks if he even made any, and find a spot so secure that no owl could find him, or your Phoenix. May I also remind you that Harry took on twenty Death Eaters, and pretty much single-handedly captured them? I'd say that Harry's earned the right to some privacy. He's also done us a great favor by capturing those Death Eaters. So why are we treating him like a stupid little boy, or a common criminal?"

Stunned silence fell. None of them had ever heard the normally serene werewolf speak his mind like he just did. In fact, it was rare that Remus even spoke at all during the meetings. Today seemed like a day for weird events to happen: first of all, the Headmaster became irritated, for what seemed the first time in history. Second, Snape was actually _smiling_, a scary occurrence. Of course, everyone thought that he was overjoyed that Harry was in danger, but in fact, the Potions Professor was so happy to see the Headmaster annoyed that he forgot to be angry, as well as being amused by Harry's note, which was currently in his pocket. And last, Remus Lupin just told them all off.

"We just want Harry to be safe, Remus!" That came from Mrs. Weasley.

The werewolf fixed her with a glare. "There is a difference between trying to keep him safe, and imprisoning him. All of you tried that with Sirius… I believe we all know what happened there. I deeply care for Harry, but I will not stoop so low as to take him against his will. If this is what the Order calls protection, I'm afraid I'll have to withdraw my support."

The Order members exchanged nervous glances. Remus could be let out, and then obliviated, but that would mean no help from the werewolf community. The former Professor had recently reached out, and convinced the werewolves to ally themselves with the Order. If anything happened to Remus, the werewolves promised that, although they would not join Voldemort, they wouldn't ally with the Order either. And right now, the Order needed all the help they could get in the war.

Remus stood up, and placed both hands on the table. His warning glare sent shivers into everyone who met his gaze. "Harry's trial is in two weeks. If in those two weeks Harry shows up and decides of his own free will to stay under your 'protection'," here the werewolf snorted at the very thought of the Order's definition of the term, "Then so be it. If Harry is forced to come here of his own free will, then I will withdraw support from the werewolf community. I'm sure that the elders of the packs will agree with me when I say that Harry is no longer a cub, and does not need to be locked up against his will. Today, he has proven himself to be capable of defending his self and those he cares about, as well as going to a place where no one can find him. If he can disappear and not be found under our watch, I'm sure You-Know-Who will have an even harder time searching for him."

The werewolf seemed to want to say more, but couldn't find the words. Sending one last glare around the table, Remus walked out.

Once he was alone in his rooms, the werewolf started to cry. He had held it back when he mentioned Sirius, and more so when he wanted to cry tears of rage. Now, when he was alone, he could cry. Eventually, he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Harry was reading an advanced Charms text. "Hedwig, tell me something," Harry looked up from his book, unable to withhold the question any longer. "Why haven't any owls come?"

The Snowy Owl looked pleased. "_Ra and Numa spread the word amongst the Hogwarts Owls, who then spread the word to all the others. You are not to be disturbed. All owls know that you are a chosen of the Council, and choose not to be found. We honor your request._"

Harry grinned. "Ah. That would explain it. Could you tell them my thanks?" He watched, fascinated, as Hedwig closed her eyes, and cocked her head to one side. In a minute, she opened her eyes again.

"_Numa and Ra told me to tell you you're welcome. Your thanks are also being sent to all owls._" Hedwig adjusted her wings more comfortably, and hoped that Harry was smart enough to figure it out. Fawkes had authorized dropping clues, but not too many.

The wizard froze, his book forgotten. "How… how could you tell them when you never even left?" Harry's mouth dropped. Then, his mind started to work.

He absently placed a bookmark in his place, and stood up to pace. Whenever he needed to work something out, Harry seemed to figure them out better when he walked back and forth.

His mind raced. How could Hedwig talk to Numa and Ra, and they to the other owls, without leaving the room? Well, she had closed her eyes, as if in concentration. And her head…

Hedwig watched with a bit of amusement as Harry jumped as if he'd been struck with a lightning bolt. Apparently, he had figured it out.

"It's… it's impossible! For owls to do that, they would have to… but then how could they communicate with… and the other animals…" Harry muttered as he worked this new idea out. His glance turned to Hedwig. "Will you tell me if I'm right or not?"

Snow-white wings flapped, working out a bit of stiffness. "_Maybe._"

Harry then knew he was right. "You… you and the other animals, you're telepathic!"

* * *

Remus woke up with the sun shining in his face. He turned away, and wiped at his eyes, which felt gritty. 'Oh yeah,' Remus remembered. He had told off the Order, and threatened to withdraw the tenuous alliance between the werewolves and the Order. And had then cried him self to sleep, the emotions overwhelming him. 'It's been a long time since I did that,' Remus sighed.

Wow, Moony, I never expected you to do that! Great job! I agree with you, by the way. Remus jumped, and spun around. He was sure he had heard someone, but there was no one else in the room.

Aww, don't worry, Moony! You're safe, and sane! Well, as sane as any marauder can be! Here, let me show you…

The last living Marauder turned, and stared in disbelief as a white form began to shape. "Padfoot? But… How…"

The figure pushed his hair out of the way, and grinned that familiar grin at Moony. I was authorized to make a visit. I figured I'd stop and see you on my way to see Harry. So, how's he doing?

Remus shook, and had to sit down. "But you died! I saw you fall through the veil!" His mind was still in denial over the sudden appearance of Sirius Black.

Sirius shrugged. Yeah, I know I did. Funny thing, that, I always thought I would go from a bad prank. Oh well. And you haven't answered my question. How's Harry?

"I have no idea, Padfoot. See, Harry ran away from his relatives' house." Remus ran his hand through his graying hair, wondering if he was going insane.

Padfoot smiled. Good for him. Listen, Moony old pal, I have a few things to say to you. First of all, don't get all broody about my death. It's not that much fun, I'll admit, but it's better than being cooped up at my old house. Speaking of which, you're in it, you know. Second, Lily and Prongs say "hi." They do wish, however, that you'd show a little more of the backbone you showed yesterday.

Moony blinked. "Lily… and Prongs? You've seen them?"

Sirius nodded, smiling. Oh yeah, and they were furious to see me. Prongs in particular wanted to beat me up for being so stupid as to die. Sounds just like him, eh?

A weak chuckle sprung from Remus' lips. "Oh yes, it does."

The white figure smiled. They also tell you to watch out for Harry, as you are the last Marauder. But you can fix that. That brings up another point, Moony old friend. Prongs and I want you to teach Harry how to be a Marauder. A full marauder. Get my drift?

Remus' eyes blinked. "But I don't know how to teach him! I was always the quiet one, and I didn't become an illegal Animagi, like the two of you did!"

Yeah, but you were our brains. And I know you have some Marauder spirit in you. Just think, he'll be the best Marauder yet! Oh, almost forgot. Moony, a Marauder's Oath has been broken. That person should be stricken from the record of the Marauders, and have suitable punishment inflicted on him. Once you get the little bugger, you know what to do, right?

A slow smile grew on Moony's face. Oh yes, he knew what to do. "It shall be done, Padfoot. Anything else?"

Sirius nodded. Just three more things before I go. One, please give Harry the birthday present I was planning on giving him. Two, make sure my will is read. And once it's read, please, for crying out loud, get some new robes! Last, give Snape my Marauder farewell. It's only fitting. On second thought, share the wealth! And don't forget to give Snape the note.

Remus smiled. "I'd be pleased to do everything, Padfoot. And give my regards to Lily and James. Tell them their son is a great wizard, and that James owes me money. I did win the bet on the Quidditch thing."

The form of Sirius smiled, remembering. That you did, Moony that you did. I'm off to Harry now. And I'll be sure to tell James that. How did you know he was going to be a Seeker when he grew up?

Remus winked at Sirius. "That is something you'll have to guess at, Padfoot. Tell Harry when you find him that he has my full support, and to beware of the Order."

The form of Sirius nodded, and disappeared as quickly as he had come. Left alone once again, Remus felt a smile playing on his mouth as he went for his trunk. Sirius's wishes would be fulfilled. And the Betrayer would wish he were never born. A vindictive smirk grew on the werewolf's face as he surveyed the box he held.

* * *

"_Congratulations, Harry, you figured it out._" Hedwig said into the silence that had fallen after Harry's statement. "_Tell me though, how did you come to that conclusion?_" She was curious as to how he figured it out.

Harry smiled, triumphant. "Well, the final clue was you sending a telepathic message to Numa and Ra. That was pretty obvious. There was also the fact that all owls know where to deliver their letters, unless a charm is placed on the person. I was just looking at that charm, and the structure of it weaves together to block owls from coming. I don't think anyone else has realized this, but the certain components of a spell mess up the telepathic means that owls use to find someone."

Harry paused as he tried to sound his idea out. "Also, I know that each animal speaks a different language. You hoot, Horses neigh, etc. But each animal has a bit of telepathic communication inside itself, which allows for one animal to transmit it's meaning into the other as it speaks, making the other's mind translate for understanding. I noticed when I was meeting with the Council members that I sometimes saw an animal moving its lips, and hearing it speak a second later. That also tipped me off."

Harry whirled around when Fawkes chirped. "_Excellent, Harry. You are absolutely right, of course. Brilliant deductions._"

"But if I'm right… that must mean I have some telepathy as well, or else I wouldn't understand either of you." Harry tested.

Fawkes and Hedwig shared an amused look. "_Right again, Harry. Now, I'll leave you to your contemplations. By the way, the Order has given up looking for you right now. At your trial however, if you show up, you will probably be forced against your will to go to Order HQ. If you don't, the Ministry will track you down._"

The firebird watched a bright smile appear on Harry's face. "They won't, believe me." Harry replied, sounding very convicted. Fawkes looked at Hedwig, who shook her head. Neither of them had any idea what he was planning.

"_If you say so, Harry. Hedwig, remind him. I think it's time for him to remember._" With that cryptic message, Fawkes disappeared.

"Hedwig, what was he talking about?" Harry looked at his owl, confused.

The Snowy Owl sighed, and shuffled her feet. Trust Fawkes to bow out when the tough stuff came. "_Harry, one of the reasons the Council acted right after your fifth year was because I was reporting to them. We needed you sane, Harry, because everyone would be destroyed if you were kept in that state. Your magic was getting out of control, and we couldn't allow that. So, we… we made you forget why you were depressed._"

Harry frowned. "Why was I depressed, then? I don't remember anything before the fight with the Death Eaters."

Hedwig exhaled. Oh boy, the Council had done its job _too_ well. "_I guess that's because the Council wanted you to discover and explore your new powers. One gift they gave you though, was the power to forget. When the transfer was complete, that power activated immediately. And you forgot… you forgot Sirius._"

That name stopped Harry, bouncing in his head. He remembered now. He remembered. Merlin, help him, he remembered. "I forgot... Sirius… How could I?" Harry cried out, memories flooding him.

"_Because you were too unstable to receive your powers as you were. Once you forgot, and had other things to focus on, the powers could come without killing you._"

Tears poured down the teenager's face. "But… I should've remembered. After all, I was the one to kill him!"

Sorry Harry, but I believe that dubious honor belongs to Voldemort and Bellatrix. Whatever in the world made you think that you killed me?

The familiar voice sent electric shocks through Harry's body. He turned, and saw a white form appearing. "S-sirius? But… but you're dead! I saw you die!"

The Marauder shrugged. Yeah, ain't that crazy? Don't worry; it didn't hurt at all. Now listen, Harry, I've only got so much time left. I was given permission to visit, although I don't know how I got it. First of all, I'm not a ghost, in a matter of speaking. I'm not staying. Second, will you stop kicking yourself in the arse and move on?

Harry blinked, and wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. "But I might as well have killed you! I was the one who was to stupid to…" He trailed off as Sirius held up a hand.

You're nuts, you know that kid? It wasn't your fault. Voldemort has tricked wizards far older and wiser than you. What makes you any different? Oh, and don't even think of mentioning that prophecy.

"You know about that? I thought only Dumbledore and I knew…"

Sirius snorted. Harry, I'm dead. Oh, don't flinch when I say that. It's not that bad. We dead people know more than you live people. Besides, your parents told me about it.

"My parents? You saw my parents?" Harry seized on the offered subject change. It was enough that Sirius had forgiven him, and he wanted to get off the rather depressing subject.

It worked; Sirius was distracted. Of course, Harry. And they send their love. Prongs also says, and I quote, "Way to go, son! Seekers kick arse! Of course, I'd probably be better, but…" That was when Lily hit him upside the head. Both he and Harry snickered at that.

"Well… tell them that I love them… and that I wish I had gotten to know them. And tell my dad that I could whoop him any day!" Harry said, his eyes glinting.

Sirius laughed. I'll do that, Harry, I'll do that. Then he looked at his wrist. Oops, almost time to go. First, Moony told me to tell you that you have his full support. I'll let him tell you how he told off the entire Order. Second, Moony's going to make sure my will is read. Once it is, force him to buy new robes. It's high time he had them. Third, you're going to be made a full Marauder. You have the Marauder's Map, right? Good. Once you get to Hogwarts, tap the map with your wand and say, "I wish to take the Marauder's Quest." Follow the directions from there.

Harry nodded, committing the words to memory. "O-Okay. Sirius, will I ever see you again?"

I'm working on it, kid. Oh, one last thing. Give Voldemort and his little minions hell for me, will you?

Harry grinned, and saluted Sirius. "Of course. On Prongs' honor!"

The figure laughed, and all of a sudden, he disappeared. Harry shook his head, and wiped at his eyes.

Right now, he was at a kind of peace. The guilt that had lain on his chest was gone. Harry had carried it around, even when he forgot. Somehow, Sirius had made everything right again. And Harry realized who the real culprit was behind his godfather's death.

"_I could almost feel sorry for Voldemort. Almost being the key word._" Hedwig remarked as Harry got out his cauldron, and started a very advanced potion.

Harry grinned innocently at her. "What? I'm just going to fulfill Sirius' request!"

Hedwig rolled her eyes. Suddenly she knew that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were going to be very, very sorry indeed.

* * *

Well, that's it for now! Before I respond to my wonderful, lovely, awesome (etc, etc.) reviewers, I want to give you some questions to ponder. If you can answer them correctly... I'll give you a lollipop! See, like this!o-- o.O

Or you could just answer them for fun, and if you see that signal in my response to your review, you can have the knowledge that you figured it out!

Questions:  
1. Where is Harry currently at?  
2. Where did Harry get the gift of telpathy? (I know, kinda broad, but guess. Give name, or species... or whatever you want to put)  
3. What is Harry's Animagus form going to be?

That's it for the questions now, but if I see people participating, I might make it a House competition! That's only if I see people reviewing and asking for it...

Now to my reviewers:

bandgsecurtiyaw: Thanks!

Matt101: Thank you! And I gave you one... do you like?

shdurrani: Yeah, Harry does. Oh, did I forget to say which species are in the council? Silly me. D Thanks for reviewing.

PsychicLunar: Lol, I couldn't resist your puppy dog eyes... 0.0... ;-) Thanks for being a regular. I don't know what an SRI is, but good job? Hope you get a goodscore on your math thingie... well, until later!

Bloodless Ace: Thanks!

deathsith: Thank you! I love little comments like that... make me so happy...

HellsMaji: Thanks. And I'm getting there. I'm experimenting on how much I have to type to get a nice-sized chappie. I also don't want to reveal too much in one chapter... kind of boring, don't you think? The chapters are getting longer, though.

Well, that's all for now! For all my readers, please review. I really want to hear from you! Besides, it'll make me happy, and happy authors mean sooner updates. Until the next chappie, so long!


	8. Fowl Play

Disclaimer: See previous chapters for one

(A/N: Those who reviewed made me a very happy author. So, here's the next chapter! I only have 1.3 days left of school, but tomorrow night I'll be very busy. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. And for those who are about to read this, I apologize in advance for the title. ) )

(A/N 2: I just read the # of reviews... over fifty! I'm very happy right now! See author's note at end for more)

Chapter 7: Fowl Play

"_That's it, steady Harry…_" Hedwig said softly. She was on her favorite perch, looking at Harry.

For his part, Harry had his eyes closed, and was sitting on the floor cross-legged. A quill in front of him on the stone started to twitch. Sweat broke out on Harry's forehead as the quill slowly rose to his eye level. When he opened his eyes, the quill stayed there for a second before it dropped.

"Darn it, I almost had it." Harry complained, and grabbed the towel beside him to wipe the sweat off of his face. "And here I was thinking that these gifts were supposed to work automatically…"

Hedwig shuffled her wings. "_You are getting better, Harry. A week ago you couldn't even make the quill twitch._" She didn't even bother to answer that last comment. It had been explained to Harry that to receive the gifts, he had to discover them first, and then train with them before he could fully utilize it. Fawkes told him once that it wouldn't be a help if he didn't work for anything.

Harry sighed, and moved the towel around to wipe down his neck. "True. Of course, a week ago, I only discovered my tele-kinesis powers when I pushed you off your perch with only my mind." He grinned at her, and ducked as the owl swooped at him, barely missing his head.

That day, Hedwig was teasing Harry for the explosion he had made with a potion. It wasn't entirely his fault. Fawkes had finally managed to sneak up on Harry undetected, and startled him. That caused him to add too much at the wrong time, and the potion exploded. Harry, soaked with potion (luckily it didn't have any side-effects when it hit the skin), yelled at Fawkes. The Phoenix apologized, for Fawkes was also covered in Harry's potion. After all, Harry had told the Phoenix, he wouldn't be soaked if he hadn't sneaked up on Harry.

Hedwig, however, was laughing at both of them. Harry couldn't get her, but glared all the same. He sent his mind at her, knowing that she was sensitive to telepathic links. What neither of them had expected was Hedwig getting knocked off her perch. Afterward, she told them it felt like a punch thrown by Harry, which hit her in the chest. Harry apologized, and Fawkes told them both that Harry had telekinesis, and with him figuring out more and more about telepathy every day, it was probable that he had what Fawkes called the "tele-powers." It was the Phoenix's nickname for the combination of telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation.

Since then, Harry had practiced every day, trying to find out what he had done to knock Hedwig off. And he was getting better. He still hadn't quite gotten the hang of telepathy yet, and teleportation he had barely started training on.

Hedwig flew back to her perch, head held high. "_Humans._" She said, her voice sounded disgusting. She started preening her chest.

Harry chuckled. "_Owls_" He retorted, also sounding disgusted. He was about to say more when he stopped. Hedwig paused mid-preen. "_Harry, what was that you said?_"

"Hedwig, I… oh crud, it's gone. I actually spoke telepathically!" Harry beamed, and restrained himself from jumping up and down. For just a second, he had done what he'd been trying to do ever since he found out about the telepathy that all animals had a bit of.

"_And I actually heard it!_" Harry ducked again, just in time to avoid Fawkes' talons as the Phoenix flew up behind him. "_Darn it, how did you know where I was?_" The Phoenix sounded disgruntled. For the past few days, Fawkes had successfully snuck up behind Harry.

The teen grinned. "One of the feathers on your left wing is out of place. I could hear it a mile off." Fawkes looked stunned, and then peered at his wing. Sure enough, one feather was out of place. He quickly corrected that with his beak.

"_I was sure that I had you that time. I could've sworn that all my feathers were preened before I came down here._" Fawkes looked so grumpy that Harry had to laugh. "Aww, is de widdle Fenix mad?" Harry teased.

Hedwig watched rather contentedly as Fawkes chase a laughing Harry around the Chamber of Secrets. Two weeks ago, after the strange visit from Sirius, Harry had changed. He laughed more easily now, and seemed a whole lot more cheerful than before. He also set about making the Chamber a proper home, finally cleaning out the old Basilisk skeleton and setting up a nice little living area.

The leftover scales, bones, and fangs went into a box Harry transfigured from a piece of gravel and charmed quite severely. When Hedwig asked why he did that, Harry grimaced, and said that he'd rather not look at that stuff. Some bittersweet memories emerged, Harry told the owl, and he'd rather not think of those.

"_Fawkes, lay off!_" Hedwig looked up sharply to see Harry batting off Fawkes, who was tickling the young wizard rather mercilessly. "I did it again, didn't I?" Harry asked when Fawkes stopped in surprise.

"_Yes you did, Harry. Have you figured it out yet?_" Fawkes flew up, and perched on one of the snake statures near the teen. Harry shook his head. "Almost. I know how to do it, but I don't know _how_ to do it. Am I making any sense?"

"_No, but then again, when do you ever?_" The Phoenix flew quickly away as Harry started climbing up the statue. When he was perched on the head, Fawkes flew over him tauntingly. "_Aww, is widdle Harry mad?_"

Harry joined in on the laughter, even as he tried to jump and reach Fawkes. On the way down, he didn't land quite right, his foot missing the flat center of the top of the statue. He scrambled for purchase, hands trying to grasp at the smooth stone. Harry's eyes were shut, and when he realized that he wasn't falling, he gave a sigh of relief.

"_Um Harry, I think I know what Aragog gave to you as a gift._" Harry heard Hedwig's voice in his mind. Slowly he opened his eyes, and looked around.

"Well, this is… interesting," Harry said, as he was perched on the side of the statue, looking up at the ceiling. His hands seemed to be clamped down on the stone, as well as his feet, so they weren't sliding downward.

The other two occupants in the room agreed.

* * *

Remus leaned back in the chair and sighed. The meeting with the werewolf clans had run unusually long. All of them had wanted to hear about Harry. Remus had obliged, and when he was described, the elders had nodded knowingly, and whispered something about "the Council's chosen." When told of what the Order was thinking about doing, all of the elders decided to stick with Remus' judgment. No one objected, which was unusual. Usually, there was always at least one dissenter at the clan meetings. However, after Remus had described Harry, the dissenters went quiet, and agreed quickly.

The werewolf's sense of smell, sharpened by the proximity of the full moon in a couple of days, picked up someone heading his way. He smiled. "Come in, Tonks." She was one of a few Order members who didn't want to take part in kidnapping Harry. Two days after Remus told the Order off, the Auror came right up to him and told him (after tripping over a very obviously set chair) that he was right, and she wasn't going to be a part of what the Order deemed "protection"

The Metamorphagus opened the door slightly, crept in, and smiled. "You do know it's kind of scary when you do that, right?" She said conversationally.

Remus grinned, and tapped his nose. "Full moon in four days, Tonks. I can't help it. Any news on Harry, yet?"

Tonks exhaled, and looked up at the ceiling. "Not really. His trial is tomorrow, and everyone in the Ministry thinks he isn't going to show up. There's even a betting pool or two going on, one on whether he shows up or not, and the other if he's going to go free or not."

"I take it you're betting against all of the odds, right?" Remus asked blandly.

Tonks grinned. "Of course, what do you think I am, stupid? Don't answer that," She glared at him as he chuckled. "I have some big money on my guess is that he shows up and goes free, and comes out better than he went in."

Remus chuckled again. "If I were to give you some money, would you put it in on your bet, so we can both be millionaires?"

"You think so too, eh?"

The werewolf sent her a sly wink. "I know Harry better than any of the others. He'll come all right, and go free. By the way, what are the odds on him?"

Tonks pulled out a piece of paper and looked at it. "Let's see, about 12:1 for him showing up, 4:1 for him not. If he shows up, it's 20:1 that he goes free, and 3:1 that he doesn't"

Remus rummaged in his robes, and came out with a small sack. "Put that in for me, please. All of it on the combination that he shows up and goes free."

Tonks held the sack in her hand, hefted it up and down, and grinned. "So, Mr. Lupin, when you become a millionaire, what are you going to do?" She teased.

The two of them laughed, and as Remus told Tonks _exactly_ what he was going to do after he won the money he was betting, Tonks couldn't breathe for laughing.

* * *

The way the two birds got Harry down off the statue was quite simple: they tickled him until he let go. Of course, that did mean landing hard on his tailbone, but at least he was down. Or that's what the birds said.

"Gee, thanks guy and gal, you're all heart." Harry grumbled as he walked back to the little room he had set up, wincing with every step.

Fawkes twittered at him. "_It's your own fault for not climbing down._" The Phoenix protested, trying vainly to hide the amusement in his voice.

"_Was it my fault that I didn't even know about this ability until about five minutes ago?_" Harry retorted. By now, the three of them were used to Harry's switching between telepathy and spoken speech. He knew how to do it, but he couldn't do it when he specificaly wanted to. The gift was switching on and off, almost like a light bulb.

"_Of course._" Fawkes insisted. Harry glared at him and went to his desk. Almost all of his homework for over the summer had been done, due to the emptier schedule he had. When he wasn't reading over his books, he was making potions, or doing practical, everyday work with his wand. Harry reckoned he was going to be far ahead of his classmates in pretty much every subject when school started back up, but freely admitted that he had only gained that edge with his wand and his free time. The stuff he'd been learning was hard, and Harry was struggling to learn it without any experienced wizards around. Still, Harry was proud of himself for succeeding, more or less.

"_Are you ready for tomorrow yet, Harry? And how are you going to get there?_" Fawkes knew that teasing time was over; once Harry sat down at the desk, he didn't joke around until he got up.

Harry tapped the top of his quill to his chin. "I'm ready, that's for sure. As for getting there, I haven't really thought about it."

Hedwig, from where she had been listening in, blinked. Fawkes felt like banging his head against a wall. "_You… haven't…really… thought…_" It looked painful for him to even think about it. "_How are you going, then?_"

Harry shrugged. "No idea. I just know that I'm going."

Fawkes closed his eyes and counted to ten. "_And pray-tell us how you were going to get to the Ministy of Magic?_"

The teen flipped the page in a book and shrugged. "I'm sure I would find a way."

Fawkes' beak opened and closed in shock. Shaking his head, Fawkes went to Harry, and peered into his emerald green eyes. Harry looked up, eyes full of mischief. "So, are you going to take me, or not?"

Hedwig chuckled as she watched the normally dignified-looking Phoenix tumble off the desk into a heap on the floor. By the way Harry's shoulders were shaking, he was laughing as well. Fawkes did not share in the laughter, as he struggled to get to his feet on the floor.

Once he was standing up, Fawkes was even more hilarious. Red-gold feathers stood up all over the place, and he looked like a red-feathered ball. The Phoenix looked at his two laughing friends, sniffed, and flew up to the top of Salazar Slytherin's stature. There he preened his feathers, not bothering to look at Harry, who was wiping tears from his eyes, or Hedwig, who's body was shaking with laughter.

"_Some fine friends you two are… Give me one reason why I should take you, Harry._" Fawkes sent at them.

Harry grinned. "_I'll give you two. One, because you love me, and two, how else would I get there? Oh, and another bonus answer… it would look really good for my case if I showed up with a Phoenix, the purest beings of Light._"

Fawkes grumbled. Over the past few weeks, the Phoenix had grown fond of the boy. After the transfer, and the realization that these gifts wouldn't come naturally to him, Harry simply accepted. He didn't throw a tantrum because he had to train, or brag that he was getting these gifts, like other boys his age would have done. He also forgave Fawkes and the Council for making him forget about Sirius, and worked hard to try and find the gifts given him. Harry was also the only person in the world that could get away with teasing the Phoenix. Even Dumbledore would get pecked or had some other sign appear that said Fawkes was displeased with him.

Then Fawkes looked over at Harry, and winced. The teen was giving him the most adorable puppy dog eyes, and Fawkes struggled to resist. He wouldn't give in, he told himself, Fawkes the Phoenix will not give in.

"_All right, all right! I'll do it, just stop with the face!_" Fawkes gave in. As he cursed himself, Harry grinned, face returning to normal.

"Thanks Fawkes, you're the best!" Harry told the Phoenix who was in the process of beating himself over the head with his wing.

"_Curse you and your adorable puppy dog eyes!_" Fawkes shuddered at the memory. "_I'd like to see you use that face on Voldemort! The cuteness of it would melt his little evil heart, and we'd all be free to dance around singing "Ring around the Rosie!_"

The humorous tirade was too much for both Harry and Hedwig. Harry cracked up laughing, leaning against a statue for support and holding his sides. Hedwig flew away, chuckling. When she'd composed herself enough, the owl telepathically contacted Numa and Ra, telling them what happened. They started laughing too, and Hedwig knew that by the end of the day, every owl in England would have heard about it.

"_F-fawkes, I think that might actually work!_" Harry sent, unable to stop from laughing so hard. His comment brought another round of laugher, and this time Fawkes joined in. Hedwig sent that comment along via the telepathic link as well.

* * *

The Headmaster of Hogwarts looked up from his desk, filled with paperwork, and his eyebrow rose. "Professor McGonagall, what a pleasant surprise. What can I help you with?" She looked tired and worn out.

"Albus, I think someone's slipped all the owls Butterbeer."

Professor Dumbledore's eyebrows slipped up towards his hairline. "Oh? What makes you say that?" He pushed a bowl towards her, wondering if she still had side effects from that trip to St. Mungo's. "Lemon Drop?"

Minerva McGonagall looked at the lemon drops and twitched. "No, thanks. I believe you know I detest those things. Anyway, I was on my way to the Owlery to send off the school letters, when I heard a terrible ruckus. When I opened the door to the Owlery, Albus, the owls had gone mad! A great number of them were on the floor, shaking and hooting. More of them were flying crazily about, barely missing the walls! That was when I came here."

Albus leaned back in his chair. He hadn't heard about any curse that could do that to that many owls at the same time. Minerva would have been correct about the Butterbeer theory, but every owl should have stayed on his or her perch, not flopped down to the floor, if indeed they had been given Butterbeer. He also didn't think that someone had given them any type of drug, so it wouldn't be of any real use to check the feeders for some of the more illegal drugs.

His attention was captured by the whirring radio. It was charmed to come on if there was any news that might be relevant.

"… Have gone mad. Owners report their owls looking fine in one second, and flying crazily all over the place, hooting in the next. Some owls have been seen lying on the ground, shaking and hooting. According to our sources, England was not the only country affected by this strange behavior for owls. Reports from Ireland, Scotland, France, Bulgaria, and more countries in the Eastern Hemisphere have come in, claiming that whatever is affecting the owls here seems to be universal. All have come in just seconds and minutes after another. This just in! A report from the United States, claiming that the epidemic has reached them by some super human means…"

Albus turned at Minerva, somewhat alarmed. "I'd like to see this for myself. Lead the way to the Owlery, Minerva."

The Transfiguration teacher, perplexed by this outbreak of craziness among owls, did what she was ordered. At a slight run, Professor McGonagall reached the Owlery in no time. Right behind her, Professor Dumbledore opened the door with his wand.

Both teachers stared in amazement. Owls were picking themselves off the floor, shaking, and flying back up to the many perches placed everywhere. After a few seconds, all of the owls were in their places, hooting at each other. The only thing different was that the level was louder than normal, and occasionally an owl started shaking. They also all looked to be in good health.

Professor McGonagall turned to stare at the Headmaster, speechless. Blinking, she transfigured a pebble, and charmed it. In a matter of seconds, the Wizarding Wireless Network was on, sounding through the speaker of a rock-gray stereo. Later, the Transfiguration teacher would berate herself for not performing the transfiguration flawlessly. Right now, she was too stunned to think.

"… Appears to be stopping. I repeat, the epidemic appears to be halting. A few minutes after the epidemic, an owl affected will return to normal. Magical Creature Specialists believe that no harm is done to the owl, but will need more tests to be sure. New reports have informed us that the epidemic took only a minute or so to move from country to country, and five to cross the seas. It appears that every magical owl was infected. Please keep tuned as we investigate this strange happening."

The two professors could only blink in astonishment.

* * *

As soon as Harry could stand without support, Hedwig decided to tell him what she had done. "_Harry, Numa and Ra were told about Fawkes' little tirade, as well as your response._"

Harry looked at her, and started to grin wildly. "And I suppose that they spread that around the Owlery?"

Hedwig shook her head. "_No._" Harry frowned, and if Hedwig had had a mouth, he would have seen Hedwig start to smile. "_They told that to every owl they could get in contact with. And those owls told other owls, and so on and so forth. So in reality, they spread it around the world._"

Harry started to chuckle. "_And…_" he fished for more to the story.

"_Every owl on the globe that has telepathic abilities has been told. The humans have noticed, and think that there is a plague going around or something._"

In Dumbledore's office, at the opposite end of the school, the portraits inside all swore they could hear laughter from a long way away.

* * *

Well, there it is! I had fun writing it, so I hope you had fun reading it! Before I adress my reviewers, I just want you to know that you've made me very happy.Over50 reviews!I really,really love you guys (andgirls too!).A few of you even get lollipops! Oh, and the second question wasn't really fair. After all, it was too broad. I'll answer that question later. Also, some of you have been asking about the Council. I guarantee you that you'll have your questions answered soon. Just be patient as I get Harry through the trial. Then, it will be time for some Harry-training and you'll be introduced to the Council.

Now, to my reviewers!

kookyfaun3: Thanks! I'm glad you like! I also appreciate your review, it really makes my day when people enjoy my fic and say so.

Gwendolyn14: Thank you! I did have fun writing a few humorous scenes in here... Also, I'm glad you like my version of Harry. Nice, cheerful, powerful Harry is better than depressed, moody, unstable Harry, or so I think. Of course, some people like him all dark and dreary... Thanks for reviewing!

bumblebuzz: o-- You got the first lollipop! Congratulations, you were very correct that Harry is in the Chamber of Secrets, as you've undoubtedly seen by now. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like my fic!

hds: Well, I did try to veer a bit from the norm. I'm glad you like it! Your guesses are very good (nice comment on #2... ;-D), but sadly, incorrect. Maybe you'll get some future questions right, and I'll give you a lollipop then! ;-)

PsychicLunar: o-- Only one... your other guesses were good, but incorrect. I think you can guess which answer got you the lollipop...Thanks for reviewing, and I'll update as soon as I can. (and I hope that your services behave... I like hearing from you!

Wytil: Thanks for reviewing! I appreciate it!

Rkhiara: I think so... thanks for reviewing!

sky: Wouldn't you like to know? ;-) Thanks for reviewing!

MKH: Thanks! I'll update ASAP

laer: Good guesses, but incorrect. Thanks for the review!

shdurrani: Considering my mind? I hope that means that you think I'm brilliant... or insane... or a bit of both... ;-) I'm glad you liked the chapter. Albus does get a little control-freakish sometimes, doesn't he? It seemed appropriate that one of the calmestmembers of the Order snap at Dumbledore, and even more appropriate that Remus do the snapping. Thanks for reviewing!

Danuschka:Very interesting reviews. I'm afraid I can't give you any lollipops, although one of your guesses was a little too close for the sake of secrecy... and Lol, nice ending comment. Very amusing, but untrue...

David M. Potter: Thanks!

Now for the questions...

1) What is Harry's animagus form going to be?  
2) Harry recieved two gifts from Aragog, one being his freaky ability to emulate Spider-man (No, he's not going to become Spider-man, neither do I own it, so don't even bother). What is the other? (guess your hearts out, peeps)  
3) Just for fun (cause I can't think of another goodquestion), what is the air speed of a swallow? (Two lollipops for you if you answer the question "correctly" and tell me what movie it's from? And for future reference, I don't own it.)

That's it for now! If you have any questions, please put them in a review, and I might answer them! (might being the operative word here...) For all those who are reading this now, good job, you've reached the end! As a prize, you have my blessing to review! ;-)


	9. Animagus and the Trial

Disclaimer: Well, see the previous chapters. I did kind of "borrow" JKR's trial stuff from OotP, so just so you know, only a bit of the trial stuff is mine.

(A/N: I love you guys. I really do. 87 reviews total! In reward, here's the next chappie (and the longest chappie yet..), and I'll see what I can do to get you a new one tomorrow.)

Chapter 8: Animagus and the Trial

Fawkes glided down silently. It was time for Harry to start getting ready, even though it was only four in the morning. If the Ministry tried to pull anything like they did last year, Harry would be ready. That and Fawkes felt that if _he_ had to be up this early in the morning, Harry should be up. The waking up part should be fun, anyway.

The Phoenix perched lightly on Harry's bed, and leaned his head to where his beak was directly beside the boy's ear. His plan was to chirp really, really, loudly, and startle Harry up.

Before he could, however, a hand was suddenly clasped around Fawkes' beak, and another on the reddish-gold body. Fawkes could only blink before he was thrown onto the stone floor, his attacker following him.

"Oh, it's just you, Fawkes. What the heck were you doing?" Harry, alert and wide-awake, asked, crouching over the stunned Phoenix.

"_Trying to wake you up, you idiot. Looks like I succeeded, but I didn't expect it to hurt that much. How did you know I was there?_" Fawkes painfully got to his feet, wincing. The stone floor didn't really help. Hedwig, woken up by the commotion, was covering her beak with her wing, holding back her hoots of laughter at the Phoenix's predicament.

Harry shrugged. "Your weight on the bed, for one thing. It shifted my body awake. Then your moving your muscles and your heart beating alerted me to your presence. When I felt the warmth of your body near my ear, I just reacted."

Fawkes shook his wings, disgruntled. "_Figures you have your own inner alarm clock. Anyway Harry, it's time to get ready._"

The wizard looked at the clock on his bedside table, and raised his eyebrows. "_Four in the morning, Fawkes? Are you sure you're okay?_"

"_I'm trying to make sure that you're on time, no matter what pranks the Ministry tries to pull this year. Also, don't you need time to run over your case once more?_" Fawkes tried to reason with the boy.

Hedwig decided to interrupt at that point. By the look on Harry's face, it was all starting to go downhill fast. "_Harry, Fawkes was only trying to help. Fawkes, I don't think even you understand the owls' telepathic webs. When I sent the message last night,_" She paused when they both chuckled at the mere memory then continued. "_When I sent the message last night, it invoked a kind of owl creed on all of the owls who received. Every owl in the entire world recognizes you as the Council's chosen, and wouldn't do anything to harm you. If an owl does do something along those lines, then they will be severely punished. No owl will send you a message saying that the time or something of your trial has changed. That would be under the category of harming you._"

Both Harry and Fawkes absorbed the new information. "_Oh. So you didn't really need to wake up this early. Oops?_" Fawkes decided that now would be the opportune time to fly away. Before he could, Harry had drawn his wand, and made a motion. Fawkes's legs were weighed down with heavy chains, heavier than even a Phoenix could lift.

"_Fawkes, do you want the puppy dog eyes?_" Harry sent dangerously. Fawkes seemed to shrink as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

The Snowy Owl rolled her eyes. "_Harry, please be nice to Fawkes. He didn't know. But now that you're up, it's a good idea to make yourself presentable, and review your case. You don't want to stumble over anything, do you? And I believe that Animagus potion is ready to be taken now._"

Harry lit up, and waved his wand. The weights on Fawkes disappeared. "Yes! I can finally find out my form!"

Fawkes flew out of reach of Harry. "_It's wise to review your case first. I believe that the potion can take up a great amount of time._"

The wizard reluctantly nodded. "_Well, Okay, but I will get you back, Fawkes. Waking me up at four o-bloody-clock in the morning wasn't a very good idea._" At those words, Fawkes disappeared in a ball of fire, fearing for his life. Hedwig chuckled.

The owl was curious about what Harry was going to do, and tried to listen in, but to no avail. It seemed as if Harry had put a Silencing Charm around himself, so as to keep the element of surprise open. She was still able to watch, and observed Harry walking in circles, muttering to himself, and sometimes waving his wand. Occasionally, he would look up something in a book, and then go back to pacing and muttering. After about an hour of this, Harry stopped, waved his wand, and the Charm disappeared.

"_Are you going to get dressed yet, Harry?_" Hedwig took the opportunity to ask while she could. At her question, Harry looked at his sleepwear in consternation.

"_Thanks Hedwig, I forgot. I'll do that right before I leave. Now for the potion..._" Harry walked to a cabinet he had transfigured, and opened the door. The Potion he had brewed almost two weeks ago was a beautiful white; exactly the way the Potions book had said it should be.

The Animagus book advised that he sit down, clear his mind, and then take the potion. Depending on the user, the potion would activate in about half an hour on average. Harry hoped that it wouldn't take that long.

Fawkes appeared beside Hedwig as Harry sat on his bed, concentrated, and then downed the vial of potion. "_What do you think he's going to be?_" Fawkes asked quietly.

Hedwig shook her head. "_No idea. Did any of the Council members give Harry their form for an Animagus form?_"

"_No. Believe it or not, Harry already had a great deal of power when we did the transfer. Some of the gifts he received were merely early awakenings of powers he already had. We tried to make him a multi-animagus, but we couldn't. His form was already decided when we did the transfer, so the form he has is a complete mystery to all of us. We were able, however, to make sure that he would become the fastest person ever to become and Animagus._" Fawkes told the Snowy Owl, who shook her head in awe.

The two birds watched as Harry started to twitch. In seconds he was shaking on his bead, convulsions ripping through his body. This went on for thirty minutes before he started to calm down. Hedwig was frantic with worry for her master, but Fawkes assured her that this was normal. So, they waited patiently for Harry to come back to the real world.

Harry opened his eyes, and gasped in wonder as what he had seen in his mind came back to him. "_Wow…_" Harry murmured in his mind.

Hedwig couldn't take it anymore, and flew down to join her master. Fawkes wasn't too far behind. "_Harry, are you okay? Do you know what your form is?_" Hedwig asked anxiously, while checking him over for any injuries.

Harry smiled. "_I'm a wolf! But my form said something about me being abnormal…_" He frowned at that last part. "_Since when are you ever normal?_" Fawkes quipped. He ducked Harry's swat.

The wizard glared at Fawkes, and then looked thoughtful "_That's actually a good question. Anyway, my totem…_"

"_What's a totem?_" Hedwig interrupted. Fawkes silenced her with a glare, while Harry sighed. "_A totem is basically what you are like. That's what decides your Animagus form. Mine is the wolf. Like I was saying, my totem told me that I would become a wolf when I transformed. Then he said something about me being something different, which made things easier for me, but harder at the same time. Fawkes, what's a 'shifter'?_" Harry asked, curious.

The Phoenix squawked in surprise. "_Your totem said that you were a **shifter**?_"

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "_Err, yes, is that bad? He didn't explain anything when I asked, just moved on and told me how to transform._"

Fawkes closed his eyes. Was that bad? Good gosh, where had that child been? If Harry's totem told him he was a shifter, then it must be true. And if Harry was a shifter this war was starting to look up. "_Its actually really quite good Harry. Kind of being like a multi-animagus, only better. I'll explain more later on. Your totem taught you how to transform?_"

Harry nodded, eyes brightening. "_Here, I'll show you!_" In a split second, Harry was no longer there. Instead, a black wolf with green eyes and gray patch of fur in the shape of a lightning bolt over his right eye took his place. "_This is awesome! Whoa, the view changed! And I have a tail! Whee!_"

The birds looked in awe as Harry started to chase his tail. "_Fawkes, was this your doing?_" Hedwig turned to Fawkes and asked.

"_Not really. We thought it would take a month! I guess our combined powers helped really boost Harry..._" Fawkes shook his head from side to side in amazement. Then he looked at the wolf, which was bounding around like he was high on sugar. "_Harry, you need to change back, it's time to get ready!_" He sent.

In answer, the wolf bounded towards them. When he tried to stop, however, his nails scrabbled to find any traction available, in vain. Closing his eyes, he wished that he could stop before he crashed.

When he next opened his green eyes, he was staring at Fawkes and Hedwig, who were looking at him incredulously. "_What? Oh… I didn't see those before._" Wolf-Harry looked at the spread, black-feathered wings that had helped him stop. "_Is this part of the form?_" Harry asked.

Fawkes made a choking noise in his throat. "_I'm… not enitirely sure, Harry I believe that it's part of the explanation I promised you later. For now, please turn back into human, and get ready. It's time to leave._"

The wolf sighed, and changed. In a second, Harry was standing there. The only problem was, his clothes had somehow disappeared with his transformation. "_Oops. I guess I need to work on that._" A wave of his wand later, and he was fully clothed.

Fawkes closed his eyes. "_Yes, I would definitely think so._"

* * *

Cornelius Fudge was in a bad mood. After the epidemic yesterday that spread among the owls, the Ministry was afraid to use them. So, he had not been able to send off a message to Harry Potter, tricking him as they did last year into being late to his trial. Any owl that he did approach to send the letter appeared to have a relapse of the epidemic. When others came, the owl had recovered, but those that came advised the Minister against using any owls until the mysterious epidemic had been fully researched.

Fudge was already in hot water. Polls showed that the Wizarding Population was in favor of a new Minister. Cornelius figured he'd not have his job soon. One thing he wanted to do before then was to render Harry useless in the Wizarding World, in revenge. The upcoming trial seemed to be perfect for his purposes. However, he was still counting on an image of the previous summer; a nervous, overwhelmed Harry Potter.

* * *

At his trial, Harry caused quite a stir when he arived with a Phoenix on one shoulder, a Snowy owl on the other, robes spotless, hair in some semblance of order, and his wand in a holster. Order members in the audience were astonished at the sight of the familiar Phoenix on Harry's shoulder. Dumbledore, sitting in a seat in the Wizengamot, was particularly flabbergasted at the realization that Fawkes was in on Harry's disappearance. In his seat, Remus sat back, grinning, and prepared to enjoy the show.

"Disciplinary hearing on the twenty-third of June, into offenses committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey." Harry couldn't help but reminisce about the last time he heard those words. Last summer he had gotten off, and he would do so again.

"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minster of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley." Harry was surprised that Dumbledore hadn't been mentioned, but realized that Fudge was taking this trial seriously, more serious than before, and so had wrested control of the Wizengamot from Dumbledore once more. By the mutterings among the other Wizengamot members, they were a little surprised as well.

Here Fudge stopped. "Any witnesses for the defense?" He questioned, glaring at Dumbledore, daring him to say so, and at Harry.

Harry shook his head. "Not as of now, Minister Fudge, but I reserve the right to call witnesses to the stand as I see fit."

Those in the audience were taken by surprise. All were expecting Dumbledore to jump to Harry's defense again. In fact, the Headmaster was about to speak when Harry had made his statement. Up in the Wizengamot seats, Fudge didn't know what to think. The way Harry had spoken… The Minster of Magic got a uneasy feeling about this. Dumbledore sat back, astounded. This trial had taken an unexpected turn. With Fawkes, Harry had made a powerful impression, for Phoenixes were famous for siding with the Light. Dumbledore watched Harry more carefully. Remus grinned. Oh, this would be interesting indeed.

Fudge took a deep breath. "The charges against the accused…" He started to read off a piece of paper, while Harry looked decidedly bored. His hand reached up to pet Hedwig, then Fawkes.

"You are Harry James Potter, of number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?" Fudge asked Harry, glaring over the top of the piece of paper.

Harry smiled pleasantly. "I am Harry James Potter, but I'm afraid I no longer reside at Number Four. I used to live with my relatives, but have since moved out." He informed patiently.

Fudge's face turned red, as his control seemed to slip away. "Would Mr. Potter tell the court where he lives now?"

"No, Mr. Potter will not. Mr. Potter is concerned about disclosing that information for safety reasons. But please, by all means, continue." Harry said, his voice steady. He watched in amusement as a vein in Fudge's forehead started ticking. Hedwig and Fawkes both sent him mental messages at that, and he smothered a grin. His case would not do well if he started laughing.

"Mr. Potter, you will tell the court where you live, or be held in contempt!" Fudge's face started to turn purple.

"Actually, Minister Fudge, you cannot do that. Under Article Three, section twelve of Ministry Courtroom Procedures, 1953, the accused may decide not to answer any question that is unimportant to the hearing. My current place of residence has no bearing on the hearing. It is sufficient enough that the court knows that I used to live at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."

There was a furious whispering among the court, as Fudge looked to Percy, who was looking through a huge book. Percy looked up a Fudge, pale-faced, and nodded. All knew that Harry was correct. Remus cheered silently for Harry. Apparently, the teen had not spent two weeks idling about doing nothing.

"Very well. You received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?" Fudge scrambled desperately for the reigns of control.

"Yes."

"You attended a disciplinary hearing on August twelfth last year for the same subject, correct?"

"Yes, and was proven innocent by the court." Harry was pleased to get that little tidbit in; last year he was interrupted by Fudge every time he had tried to explain himself.

Fudge ignored that. "And, knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen, performed a series of spells in the presence of Muggles on the morning of the seventh of June?"

"Yes." Everyone in the room expected Harry to go on, but was surprised that he didn't explain himself.

Fudge was about to speak, no doubt to proceed to the sentencing, when, like last year, Amelia Bones cut him off. "Would you please explain to the court why you did this?"

Harry smiled at her. "Of course, Madam Bones. On the morning of the seventh of June, Death Eaters entered number four, Privet Drive. I was still in that residence at the time."

"Preposterous!" Fudge interrupted. Harry's smile slipped, and his voice grew icy.

"Minister Fudge, under Article three, section five of Ministry Courtroom Procedure, 1953, no one may interrupt the accused when he is giving testimony at the behest of one of the Interrogators. Not even the leading body of the interrogators."

Minister Fudge once again looked at Percy, who once again looked up what Harry said in the humongous book, and once again Percy nodded in confirmation of the truth of Harry's words. By now, most of those in attendance were stifling cheers at Harry's performance. Even the Wizengamot seemed to be enjoying the Minister being taught Ministry Law by an underage student at Hogwarts. Amelia Bones coughed to cover up her smile. "Please continue, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled at her again. "Thank you, Madam Bones. As I said, Death Eaters had come upon the premises of my place of residence at the time. My relatives, all Muggles were present, and sleeping. To protect them, I used my wand to cast locking, silencing, and various other charms on their bedroom doors. Then, when the Death Eaters reached my position, I dueled with them."

"Do you have any proof, Mr. Potter, that what you say is true?"

"Yes, Madam Bones. With the permission of the court, I would like to use my wand to show you exactly what happened." Here he gave a small bow.

Fudge started to speak, but then thought better of it. He couldn't think of any law that would forbid him to speak against Potter, but then again, he didn't think that the laws Potter had stated were actually true. He didn't want to test his luck a third time. When he looked at Potter, the brat glanced at him, eyes icy. He shivered in his seat. No, he didn't want to test Potter a third time.

"Very well, Mr. Potter." Madam Bones decided that Harry had something up his sleeve, and she wanted to see it. Of course, she was supposed to be neutral, but after what her niece had told her about Potter and his little shenanigans, she rather liked the teen.

Harry bowed, and drew his wand. He was well aware that some of the Aurors around the courtroom had drawn their wands, and planned to not give them any reason to use them. "_Revelo Recorda Juin._" Harry said clearly, pointing his wand at the ground in front of him.

Everyone was fascinated at the hologram that emerged from Harry's wand, which grew until all could see. Even Fudge watched, interested. The entire showdown between Harry and the Death Eaters was shown, even the Aurors' appearance and consequent investigation. It stopped before Kingsley dragged Harry away. When it stopped, the courtroom was silent, as they processed the sights and sounds that Harry had recorded with his wand. While they contemplated it, Harry put his wand back in his holster.

"Your… evidence is very convincing, Mr. Potter. Do you have any thing more which might prove your case?"

"Yes, Madam Bones. With your permission, I'd like to call Auror Shacklebolt to the stand, so that he might verify my evidence.

In his seat, Fudge realized that he'd lost all control. When the Auror stepped onto the stand, and began to tell his version of the story, he also knew that Harry had won his case.

Madam Bones watched as the Auror left the stand, and decided she was impressed. "Those in favor of clearing the witness of all charges?" She asked. Most of the hands raised immediately, a few following. Fudge did not raise his hand, nor did Umbridge, who had glared at Harry the entire time. "And those in favor of conviction?" Only Fudge and Umbridge's hands were raised. "Cleared of all charges," Bones announced.

Madam Bones turned to address Harry, and stopped. He was looking expectant… "Do you have something to say, Mr. Potter?" The court, which was about to leave, froze.

"Yes, Madam Bones."

"Go ahead, Mr. Potter."

Harry bowed. "Thank you, Madam Bones. I ask that the Ministry grant me an allowance for the use of underage magic."

Remus swore he heard a pin drop. He himself was swearing at Harry. He had just gotten off, and was asking for more? Then the werewolf stifled a grin

Fudge decided to regain control. "No, Mr. Potter. Exceptions cannot be made for anyone." He briskly gathered his stuff, but stopped at the sound of the teen's voice.

"I'm afraid that isn't exactly true, Minister Fudge. In the case of Ministry vs. Todd Toaden, 1784, Mr. Toaden was granted an allowance to use magic, although he was underage, because of the extreme circumstances in his life."

Fudge restrained himself from sneering. "Since you seem to be knowledgeable about this case, Mr. Potter, why don't you remind the court of this case?"

Harry flashed him a quick, feral smile. Those that saw weren't sure that they saw when they looked again and saw Harry's expression bland. "Of course, Minister Fudge, it would be my honor.

"Mr. Toaden's parents, his magical guardians were killed during an accident in their training to become Aurors. His only relatives left were muggles, and his parents had left no instructions as to who was to become Mr. Toaden's next magical guardian, so he was left without. A few years later, a still underage Mr. Toaden had to rely on magic to fight off some Dark wizards who were attacking his muggle relatives. At his trial, Mr. Toaden was given his reprieve due to the fact that there was no magical guardian present, and the circumstances upon which he used his magic was just."

Fudge clenched his fists. "And you expect a reprieve because of a case that was more than a century ago?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "In paragraph D of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, the Ministry is allowed to grant underage wizards and/or witches a reprieve to utilize magic. The paragraph also states that unless a law ratified by a unanimous vote from the Wizengamot changes it, it is to be observed. My circumstances relate to Mr. Toaden's; I have no magical guardian present, and I was using my magic to protect my muggle relatives."

Fudge realized he was fighting a losing battle. It seemed as if Potter had all the books in Wizarding law stuffed inside his head. Maybe the public would like it if he gave Harry the reprieve, and therefore, he would keep his office!

"Very well, Mr. Potter. An owl will be sent to you with your special license to use magic. If you've no more to add, this court is adjourned."

Harry smiled, bowed to the Wizengamot, then to the audience, before vanishing in a ball of fire, thanks to Fawkes. Behind him, he left a stunned group of people.

Remus Lupin shook his head in amusement, and went to find Tonks. It appeared they had some money to collect.

* * *

Well, that's it for now! Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm afraid that I'd take up a whole 'nother page to respond to everyone, but here's a quick rundown;

Those who answered "African or European" and "Monty Python, Search for the Holy Grail" for question number three got two lollipops, one per answer. If you only got one right, you just get one lollipop. You know who you are.

For the other questions/comments on the reviews, here they are.

Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw: o-- You get a lollipop for the wolf!Your first guess is nice, but incorrect, as chapter eight says.Your second guess is also incorrect. Thanks for trying, though!

Cricket244: ch 7: revvie:o-- yes, Harry's in the CoS... ch 8 revvie: o--, o--

Paradox, Matt101, Digi Bonds, Lunarbard, cocopops, bandgsecurtiyaw, Mikito, HecateDeMort, Sweet-Charmed-Angle, e: Thanks for your comments. They make my day.

BrattyWitch: Thanks. I'm glad you liked the "owl epidemic"

FrozenOnyxPhoenix: You're incorrect, but it was a good guess. thanks for trying

PsychicLunar: Sorry, his _Animagus_ form isn't all that original. But, At least I added a bit of twist to quell your disappointment. Good guess on Aragog's second gift, but wrong... and you didn't know about that famous remark in Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail? Oh well, I guess not everyone has seen it (shock, horror ;-) ). Thanks for reviewing... and I don't know about you readingmy fic at 4:30... guess you'll just have to figure it out on your own.

Fantasy Raan: o--, o--

RainbowDreams42: Well, if you saw someone you hated save your life, your opinion would change, wouldn't it? I'm glad you like the fic, and I'm glad to hear that I'm one of your favorites.

Kenlithia: Yes he does. o--, o--

Wizzel: Glad you liked the owl chapter... I had fun with that myself. I'm afraid I can only give you one lollipop for your guesses... only the third was correct. so, here: o-- I'm glad you like the fic. Your guesses were very good, btw.

David M. Potter: Thanks! Glad you liked it as well as I did.

Wytil: lol w/the rabbits. No, I don't think that will happen. Good guesses, but, I'm sorry to say that you don't get a lollipop today... Maybe next time

shdurrani: Thanks for reviewing! It seems that my owl chapter was well recieved... and I, too, have been questioned on my state of mind for reading/writing fanfic. Hope you like the chappie!

Bloodless Ace: Thanks o--

Danuschka: Sorry, no lollipops today. good guesses, though. As to the third question, look at the other revvies... most got it right. Thanks for reviewing!

cliff: o--

Rayz: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the owl chapter. Thanks again for reviewing!

nerd2006: Thanks! I do try to veer from the norm

Sky: Hmm...) Glad you liked the owl chappie!

Colleen: o--, o--

saffy2yrs: Thanks for reviewing. your first two guesses were good, but incorrect. For your third, here's your lollipops: o--, o-- I appreciate your comments!

druidmaster: Glad you like the fic. Good question. and two lollipops for question #3. o--, o--

HellsMaji: sorry, no lollipops for today... maybe next time. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked the owl chappie

Usagi the Mage: o--

laer: 1) don't know... but no lollipop 2)lol, no 3) o-- To my knowledge, I'm not a psychic. As I was searching for a third question to ask, that just popped into my head, and I decided to have some fun. Thanks for reviewing!

Phew! That's all the reviews! If I didn't get to say thanks to you personally, I'm sorry, but I had to get this chappie up. I'm also sure that you'd want the chappie soo, not wait for it until I had enough time to personalize all the reviews Now, for the questions.

By now, you know that Harry's _Animagus_ form is a wolf. Only one person got that right in the revvies. None of you got Aragog's second gift right... And I was glad that most of you got the third question right. So, your next three questions are:

1) What is Aragog's second gift? (I hinted atit very briefly, very subtly, in a previous chapter. Note: it's not a physical gift. Happy guessing.)  
2) What, exactly, is a shifter? I know I won't get _exactly_ right answers, but any who comes close, I'll award two lollipops  
3) What is Harry's Marauder name going to be? (James was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, etc.)

Please review!


	10. Shifters and Marauders

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

(A/N: Sorry this is late! I just had a late night last night, and my mind just went blank as I was writing it! BTW, I was _very_ happy to see all the reviews! See my response at the bottom.)

Chapter 9: Shifters and Marauders

"_That was fun!_" Harry exclaimed as Fawkes took them back to the Chamber of Secrets. His exaltation was partly due to the fact that he got off, partly because of the special license being sent his way, and partly because he had made Fudge look like an idiot. Not that Harry needed any real help with that, as Fudge was an idiot, but quoting all those obscure and little-known passages of Wizarding Law in front of the Minister of Magic made him feel good.

Fawkes trilled. "_Yes, that was very good Harry. Even I didn't know all those Law things. Was any of it real?_"

Harry grinned. "_Only the first two wizarding laws. I figured that after the first two laws, Fudge wasn't likely to object again over the use of my magic in the court._"

Hedwig chuckled. "_And Mr. Toaden?_"

Harry's grin grew wider. "_Oh, he was real enough. It's just that his case was… a little different than I described it. Todd Toaden did in fact receive Ministry permission to use underage magic. But… his circumstances were a little different. His parents did die, but appointed a witch that went into St. Mungo's soon after the parents' death. She never recovered, but was still alive. So, by all means, he should not have gotten the Ministry's permission. What happened there was a fluke._"

Fawkes and Hedwig burst out laughing.

* * *

"So, Remus old buddy, what should we do with all this money?" Tonks had a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

Remus's grin matched hers. "Whatever we want?" He questioned innocently. Tonks started laughing.

The two of them had to split up, shrink, and stuff the moneybags that they had gotten into their pockets. A lot of disgruntled Aurors lost the bet, and reluctantly handed the money over to the pair. Consequently, Remus and Tonks were rich.

"Actually, we should get Harry a very good present, for him helping us get all this money. And I need to send Harry something." Remus told Tonks.

The Metamorphagus grinned. "Fine by me. But first, let's go celebrate!" She dragged the laughing werewolf off into the direction of the Floo fireplaces, to go to Hogsmeade and the Three Broomsticks.

* * *

Ron Weasley's head perked up when he saw the fireplace flare up. Right beside him, Hermione looked over her book to see Arthur Weasley come out of the fireplace. "Dad, how did…"

"Harry got off." The patriarch of the Weasley family couldn't help feel a little shock. Harry had done it all by himself, and was going to get permission to wield underage magic.

Hermione's brow rose. "He was actually there? And got off? Did he say where he went? How did he look?" She was bursting with curiosity, ever since she got the owl saying that Harry had disappeared, and needed to come to Headquarters immediately. She'd been worried, and a bit curious, about Harry.

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "Hermione, he was there. He got off. He actually refused to tell the Minister and the Wizengamot his new address, citing some law. He looked fine." He wasn't really in the mood to answer a whole bundle of questions.

"Harry actually refused the Wizengamot?" Hermione actually shrieked. She'd been reading up on Wizarding Law since last summer, since she'd heard of the trial Harry was going to go through.

Ron sighed. "Calm down, Hermione. So dad, I guess Dumbledore worked a miracle to get Harry off?"

"Actually, Ron, Harry did it all by himself! Even told them he was defending himself, and reserved the right to call witnesses to the stand." All three heads turned to see Ginny, standing in the doorway. She was holding a radio, which was reporting on the Potter trial.

"…And in an excellent bit of defense today, Harry Potter goes free. This morning, Potter, age 15, attended and defended himself in his disciplinary hearing. Potter was accused of performing a variety of spells at his residence on the morning of June seventh, although he was underage. When questioned, Potter did admit that he used underage magic, but only to protect his muggle relatives. Death Eaters had entered the house, and Potter dueled with them. It is unknown how many Death Eaters were in the house, but Potter, with minor assistance from Aurors, captured them. For the use of underage magic, Potter was told to attend a trial, where he would be tried and sentenced. Potter won his case, successfully citing two wizarding laws and a case that had striking similarities to his own. The Boy-Who-Lived will also be receiving special permission to use magic. We'll have more details for you at the top of the hour. Right now…" Ginny switched the radio off.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other. "How in the world did he do it?" Ron spoke first. Ginny, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley shook their heads.

"I don't know, but he'd better write to us soon!" Hermione said fiercely. She also wanted to know how Harry had gotten off, with a special license, without Dumbledore to help him.

Ginny and Ron agreed, while Mr. Weasley went off to find his wife and tell her about Harry.

* * *

Harry glanced at Fawkes, who was preening himself. The boy was wondering something, and he wanted answers. "_Fawkes, what's a shifter? You said you'd tell me._"

The Phoenix looked up from his preening. "_Harry… are you sure you want to know?_"

Harry rolled his eyes. "_Do I hate Voldemort? Of course! Tell me._"

Fawkes chuckled. "_Very well, Harry. First, are you sure your totem said that you were a shifter?_" Harry looked murderous at the Phoenix's attempt to stall, so Fawkes continued. "_I'll take that as a yes._"

Hedwig flew over, and perched near Harry. "_Fawkes, just get on with it. I'm curious too._"

"_As you wish. Shifters… well, they're kind of a cross between Animagi and Metamorphagi. Animagi can transform themselves into animals, but at a price. When they first transform, the animal mind takes over. If the Animagus isn't strong enough, the animal mind forces the person to kill itself, for the human mind interferes with the process of the transformation. If the Animagus is strong enough at that first encounter, the animal mind accepts the person as master, and will no longer bother them. An Animagus form also has markings similar to your human form._"

Harry nodded. "_I understood that. The book explained it very clearly. Animagus transformations are not for the faint of heart. What about Metamorphagi?_"

"_Metamorphagi can change their appearance at will, but still retain their DNA. They cannot, however, transform into animals, only animal parts. You can only be born a Metamorphagi. Shifters… shifters are **made**._"

Fawkes paused, and Harry waited expectantly. "_Shifters combine the best of both the Animagi and Metamorphagi. Simply put, they can alter their DNA, become anyone and anything they want, and can be the ultimate spies. Whatever abilities are in the form they are in, they have them. Forms of shifters can have no identifying marks as to who the shifter is. A Shifter can also partially transform, and do whatever he darn well pleases. That is what a shifter is, Harry._"

His statement brought silence, and Harry blinked. If he was a shifter then… "_And I'm one of them… Was this a Council gift?_"

Fawkes shook his head. "_No. We wanted to make you a multi-anima_gus, _but something inside you wouldn't let us. Now I know that it was your totem. We did give you enough power so that you could make the Animagus transformation easy, painless, and quick. We didn't know about the shifter abilities you have._"

Harry exhaled. "_Wow…_" He sent. "_I take it I have to train with this first?_"

"_I don't know. I actually think that you might be able to start right away._" Harry grinned at that, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

In seconds, he was a Phoenix. Harry trilled in surprise. "_This is cool. Say, I wonder if I could…_" Fawkes blinked as Harry disappeared in a ball of fire. Another ball of fire a few feet away revealed Harry.

"_This is awesome!_" Fawkes and Hedwig watched as Harry shifted from shape to shape. He flew, ran, pounced, and leaped around the Chamber of Secrets.

Finally, he shifted into his Animagus form, a black wolf. He wagged his tail and sniffed around the chamber. The two birds watched. "_Harry, I know you're having fun, but remember, keep your shifter abilities a secret from everyone. It'll give you an advantage._" Hedwig advised. She was proud of her master, but knew that his enemies would just love to know about this.

Wolf-Harry wagged his tail. "_I know. I'm just looking forward to sneaking around Hogwarts unnoticed! I can do the Marauder's Quest thing, and then I'll be a Marauder!_" He walked over to a shaded corner, and batted at seemingly nothing. Then he lunged at the corner. Fawkes and Hedwig barely had time to blink when Harry disappeared.

"_Where'd he go?_" Fawkes asked Hedwig, who shrugged. They heard a noise behind them, and turned, but they were too late. Wolf-Harry tackled them from behind, out of nowhere. "_Got you!_" Harry's tail wagged.

Dazed, Fawkes shook his head, and Hedwig checked herself to make sure Harry hadn't broken anything. "_Where in the world did you go, and how did you get behind us?_"

Harry shifted back into his human form, thankfully with clothes, and shrugged. "_I walked through the shadows. My totem told me that I'm a Shadow Wolf, and I can travel the Shadow Realm to anywhere. It's awesome, although it'll take time until I master Shadow-walking._"

"_A Shadow Wolf? Never heard of them. And what do you mean your totem told you? After the first transformation, they don't contact you again!_" Fawkes demanded.

Harry grinned. "_My totem told me that he was going to stick around until I got the hang of my shifter abilities. And he said that a Shadow Wolf isn't exactly widely known in the wizarding world, seeing as they live in the Shadow Realms._"

Fawkes sighed. "_Always doing the unusual, eh, Harry?_"

Harry chuckled. "_Of course._"

Hedwig rolled her eyes. A telepathic message came in then, and she tilted her head for better reception. "_Harry, I just got a message from..._"

"_Pigwidgeon, I know. I guess I do need to write my friends. Would you mind waiting until I write the letters?_" He walked to his desk, pulled out parchment and quill, and started to write, oblivious to Hedwig's stare.

"_Hedwig, why are you looking shocked?_" Fawkes asked.

Hedwig shook her head. "_Harry should not have been able to listen to a long-distance owl-to-owl link._"

Fawkes snorted. "_This is Harry, we're talking about, Hedwig. I don't think he does anything by half._"

Hedwig acknowledged the point. "_Good point. Any bets on what he's going to do next?_"

"_What are we going to bet with, feathers?_" Fawkes asked facetiously. Hedwig declined to answer.

* * *

Although still a bit pumped up from his and Tonks' celebration, Remus was entrusted with the money, and Tonks would come by later to ensure that he had divided the money equally. Remus was doing his job, when a tapping was heard from his window. He was pleasantly surprised to see Hedwig, and opened his window up immediately. "Hedwig, how nice to see you! How are you? How is Harry?" 

In answer, the owl held out her leg, and Remus removed the letter. After making sure that the Owl received some water and food, the werewolf sat down at the table, reading Harry's letter.

_Dear Moony,_

_How are you? Everything's great over here. I believe you know by now that I cannot tell you where I am, due to the fact that there are people out there who could and would kill me. If I'm not mistaken, Hermione is one of them, for my daring to run away from Dumbledore. I'm not worried: A) I can handle her, and B) She doesn't know where I am. I'm actually in the safest place in the world for me to be. So don't worry about me._

_I'm pretty sure you saw him too, but Sirius visited. I feel much better now that I know who was the real culprit behind his death. Believe me, they will pay._

_Which brings me to my next point. Moony, you're the last of the original Marauders (I don't count that little… as one). Sirius has instructed me to take up his and my father's legacy. To do that, I need the help of the original. Help me make a comeback of the Marauders. I already accomplished what Prongs and Padfoot did. You know what I mean. So I'm begging you. Teach me. Train me._

_I have to go write some other letters. Hedwig will make her way back to you on her rounds, so you can write me back. Trust me on this, no other owl will send a letter to me except for her._

_Marauder-in-training,_

_Harry_

Remus looked up, and indeed, Hedwig was gone. But the letter she had brought interested him. Although he was the quietest Marauder, Moony was also the brains behind them. He was the observer, the one who could get them out of trouble. After all these years, breaking in a new Marauder held some appeal for him. Moony would not get in trouble, as he was not at school.

He reread the letter, and his eyebrows rose. Harry had already found his form? Moony grinned; that boy didn't seem to do anything lazily. Well, if you didn't count some of his schoolwork… The former professor wrote a reply, and waited for Hedwig to circle back around.

* * *

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all discussing Harry's trial, and putting out theories as to how Harry had gotten off without any help. Ron jokingly put out the theory that Harry was abducted by pixies in revenge for their second year, and that explained his behavior. Another pixie worked some magic, and replaced Harry at his trial. While they were all laughing at the absurdity of the theory, they heard a tapping.

"Hedwig!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione and Ginny looked up, as Ron let the Snowy Owl into the room. Ginny got out some water and food for the owl, while Hermione untied the letter on the owl's leg.

All three crowded around the letter, and Hermione read it aloud.

_Dear Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, if you're there,_

_First off, let me stress that I am safe. If not even the Order could find me, then Voldemort and his Death Eaters sure couldn't, right? For security reasons, I won't tell you where I am. Hermione, I'm not going to give you any clues, so stop looking for them in this letter._

_Second, I want to thank all of you for your help in the DOM a few weeks ago. It really meant a lot to me to have friends that came and fought with me. Also, thanks for your support in the DA. I believe we'll continue that, but that's not official until I find out who the DADA teacher is._

_Third, I know you might be concerned about me over Sirius. I'm not… so angry with myself any more. I understand who the real culprits behind his death were, and believe me, they will pay. Besides, it would be an insult to his memory if I brood about this all summer. So, this brings me to a question:_

_Will all of you (yes Ginny, this includes you) become Marauders with me? I also mean **full** Marauders. With Voldemort becoming more active, I think Hogwarts will need cheering up from time to time. Besides, Moony's condition has not changed, and I have a feeling he'll need us on full moons. I'm already halfway there; all I need is to be inducted. But a Marauders' team consists of four people, and I want you guys to be the other three._

_If you say yes, write me. Pig knows where to find me. Don't try to track him; you won't find me, and he won't fly with any charms on him. That goes for Hedwig as well. She needs to make some rounds, so by the time you read this, she'll already be gone._

_Until next we meet, _

_Harry_

Sure enough, when they looked up, Hedwig was gone. Pig was sitting his cage, unusually quiet and still, watching them.

"Wicked! I say we go for it," was Ron's comment about Harry's suggestion.

Hermione frowned. "But Harry wants us as _full_ Marauders. We'll be breaking about a dozen laws if we do that…"

Ginny shrugged. "Hermione, so what? You can be the studious Marauder, like Moony was. And he became a Professor." She pointed out.

Ron looked thoughtful, and a bit worried. "Although I think that this time, Harry wants to break the cycle. We won't have a betrayer, will we?"

Hermione shook her head forcefully, and Ginny looked disgusted. "Of course not. Harry needs our support, and we'll give it to him. I'm in."

Ginny nodded, smiling. "Good. I'm in too." Ron also agreed, and they wrote a letter to Harry, and sent it with Pig.

* * *

Harry looked up as Hedwig returned, bringing Remus' reply. Pig followed Hedwig with the letter from the other soon-to-be Marauders.

_Dear Harry,_

_I was pleasantly surprised to get your letter, and I must say that I enjoyed it. You still might want to keep away from Hermione, though._

_Yes, Sirius visited here to. He extracted a few solemn promises from me to train you, and send his regards to the Betrayer. I'll admit that I'm looking forward to both._

_As to you accomplishing what Prongs and Padfoot did, I'm proud of you. I'll be in the Shrieking Shack in three days' time, for the full moon. Try to make it there before moonrise. I'll have taken my Wolfsbane Potion, so I'll be safe, but I still want to see your form. After that, I'll give you your name, and we'll go to Hogwarts (you do have the Map, right?) to do the Marauder's Quest. After that, you're done. I'm sure Dumbledore would allow you to visit the castle for the time it takes to do the Quest._

_Until then, my dear Marauder-in-training,_

_Moony_

Harry grinned. Soon he could fulfill one of Sirius' last requests. And wreck havoc on Hogwarts when it started back up, but that was a side benefit. To do that, however, he needed his fellow Marauders. Harry opened the letter that Pig gave him, and read.

_Dear Harry,_

_We're all in, even Hermione, although she was concerned about breaking the rules. Of course, with the victory at your recent trial, we felt that we could just hire you as our lawyer, and we'd get off scot-free._

_Also, we all want to know how you managed the transformation as quick as you did, and what your form is. And we want to know where you are, but we understand if you can't tell us._

_Give us a meeting time and place, and we'll see what we can do._

_Your friends,_

_Ron, Hermione, and Ginny_

Harry wrote a very short letter in reply, consisting of "_Hogsmeade, Three Broomsticks, and four days from now,_" and sent it back with Pig.

The tiny owl said goodbye, and went on his journey, leaving Harry behind to plot.

* * *

At the time of me posting this, there are 134 reviews! Needless to say, I'm happy. I loved all the reviews, and couldn't help but smile at some of the answers to the question.

Again, I'm sorry that this chappie is up late.My mind went blank during thewriting of it, and I had a party I had to go to, so that kind of delayed its posting. I hope that you like this chapter, but I'm not thathappy about it myself... In apology, I'll A) post the next chapter as soon as I write it, and B) Give you a bit of a spoiler for the next chapter.

I also loved hearing that everyone liked "Fowl Play" I thought that was funny too...

Okay, review response time! You know the drill by now!

Cocoa Girl: Well, you know now about Harry's Animagus form. You'll see about the rest of your questions...

Makotochi: (CH8 revvie )I'm sorry to say that I don't understand what you're talking about "in depth" If you're talking about longer chapters, then I'm trying. It's a stretch to write that much and expect an (almost) daily update. I personally think that it's better to have semi-long chapters and frequent updates than to have super-long chapters and updates spaced between two or three days (Ch 9 revvie) Thanks

Krystal-Grasshopper-Nyght: o--, o--

athenakitty: I wondered where you went. Don't worry, your questions will be answered in time. But I will tell you this, Harry's performance at his trial pretty much hammered the last nail into Fudge's coffin

PsychicLunar: Lol... you like getting up early? FYI, his "name" isn't going to be Raven. He's not a raven, so that wouldn't really work.. Your shifter explanation isn't exactly what I was looking for, so no lollies today. Thanks for reviewing!

cocopops: Thanks

marietsy: thanks

bandgsecurtiyaw: Thanks

Digi Bonds: Oo, I was tempted with that name, but Harry's abilites are supposed to be kept secret. If his friends started calling him that, it would be curtains forhis secret. No lollies, though, sorry.

shdurrani: Thanks

HecateDeMort: thanks

hamshu: good guesses, but no lollies. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like the story

Kimi-1973: Thanks, I'm glad you like

Baranwyn: Good guesses, but no lollies. The thing during the Death Eater attack... there's a word in that sentence that I think most of you have overlooked. What happened was a result of a gift, but not Aragog's.

Silver Mayflower: Thanks, glad you like!

Behind Crimson Eyes: Lol! I'm not JKR. If I was, I'd be too busy working with the release of HBP to write any fanfic Also, believe it or not, my mom (who's reading the fic) suggested "fangs" for Harry's Marauder name. That's not it. Good guess, though.

Marikili68: Thanks!

Windy River: Thanks, glad you like!

Black's Phoenix: Thanks. My belief is that Harry's very intelligent, he's just overlooked because of Hermione.

potteranddobby: good guess, but incorrect.

Danuschka: No lollies today, although your guesses are good. Thanks for reviewing!

Sophisticated Lady: Thanks, glad you like!

ryo-oki-cabbit: Thanks! Glad you liked the bit of Fudge-bashing!

dragons rage: Nice guess, but incorrect. No lollies for you today. Please, don't threaten. I just might not update just to spite you, and you'll have a bunch of people who like my fic descend on you with their own rage. Believe me, dragons can be taken down with a dozen people cursing you (just look in GoF)

wolfawaken: Almost, but not quite. Thanks for reviewing

LilyRianneEvans: I'm pretty sure that you're not reading this, but if you ever do, I'll see what I can work out.

icymist07: o--, o--. Thanks, glad you like

jessdarkwater: Harry already has telepathy, and as shown, it works with pretty much all animals. Good guess, though. Your other guesses were good, but incorrect. Oh, and the "farfetched" thing? This is a fanfic. It's _supposed_ to be farfetched. Also, if you couldn't even remember that Harry hadn't thought about Sirius, then the Council did a good job! ;-) Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like!

blubb-blubb: yes, it will. I'm glad you liked the owl chapter... I think everyone did. You were close on your guesses, but incorrect. Thanks for the review!

LYlyLY: Thanks! little comments like that always make my day!

laer: No, close but no, and lol, no. Thanks for guessing and reviewing, though!

nonion: (ch 8 revvie )Thanks, I think everyone liked that chapter. I'm trying to find the right length at which to write the chapters and still give (nearly) daily updates. I'm glad you like the fic, and if it's a bit cliche, sorry. I try to be original (ch 9 revvie) thanks

Shadowed Rains: lol, glad you like the story

rougueleader: thanks, Harry is rather cool, isn't he?

Inimene: You'll find out. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like

LiLy MaLfOy13: thanks

boilingseas: I think Harry's humour is rather hidden because he was forced to mature so fast, and he's around others who consider him the Savior of the Wizarding World, and the Boy-Who-Lived, not as a person. With Fawkes and Hedwig (who can't really tell the wizarding world that their savior is acting childish), he's able to let out some. Also, you pretty much guessed what a shifter was, so you get not one, but two lollies! o--, o--. And about his first transformation... he just kind of forgot how to appear back fully clothed. Yes, there is canon evidence that Harry has some metamorphagi abilities... I was thinking about that when I wrote what you just saw. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like.

MoonKittyru: Very good guesses, but incorrect. Ronin is a nice name, but I don't think it really fits Harry. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

HarrySlytherinson:All I can say is that a Fawkes-Albus confrontation is coming. Glad you like, and thanks for reviewing!

CastusAlbusCor: Thanks!

Wizzel: Well, Harry does have a magical animagus, but not because of the wings. In fact, the wings are a part of his shifter abilities. As for Fawkes... He just can. And Snape... it's coming, be patient. No, although close. I hinted at it very vaguely in one of the chapters... Nice guess with the shifter abilities, but not exactly.The name isnice, but not whatHarry's name is going to be.Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you're liking the fic.

eliteshadow: I'd love to, but I need to write the fic, so I don't have time. You could put me on Author Alert or this story on Story Alert. The way to do that is to go where you post a review, but look closer at the dropdown box.. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like the story!

Purple-Starz83: Thanks! I'm glad you like!

Foz: I'm glad you like! I do try to put a bit of humor in the fic, because it gets awfully dull writing serious stuff all the time. Your guesses though, are incorrect. And the name, it could be something else... Wolverine doesn't really match Harry's form.

Regulus Black II: Glad you like! You were pretty much right on with your answer to question #2, so you get a lollie o--, but not specific enough. Your other guesses were good, but incorrect. Thanks for reviewing!

lav: Thanks! comments like that make my day!

Rachel A. Prongs: Thanks! I'm glad you like!

That's what I have! Now, for the questions, and the promised bit of a spoiler.

Questions:  
1)What is Aragog's second gift? (I'm getting a lof of "spidey-sense" Like I said, I'm not making Harry into some sort of Spider-Man. Here's a hint: It's not a physical thing in the sense that it's not webbing or poison. I hinted at it very vaguely in one of the chapters.)  
2) What is Harry's Marauder name? (I'm enjoying all the guesses.. keep at it!)  
3) What species was responsible for what happened at the start of the Death Eater attack? What isthegift? (I've gotten this as a response for Aragog's second gift, so I decided to start a question about it. As I said in a review response, you have to look very carefully at what I wrote. Now, happy guessing!)  
4)What will Ron's, Hermione's and Ginny's Animagusforms and Marauder names be? (I have a very vague idea of what I want to happen, but I'm flexible. The best ones, I just might put into the story. If that happens, you get two lollies.)

Wow, you get four questions instead of three! Now, for the bit of a spoiler: Harry's going to become a Marauder, no doubt about that. Also, our favorite Potions Professor will get an owl from Harry.

Is that good? Well, that's it! Readers, please review! I want to give more lollies out, and I love to hear from you!


	11. Welcome to the Marauders!

Disclaimer: See previous chapters

(A/N: Here it is! I'm out of school now, so hopefully I'll start writing more, and get a regular update schedule going on. I was happy to see all but two of the reviews, but see my comments below, after you read)

Chapter 10: Welcome to the Marauders!

It had been an eventful three days for Harry. As he waited eagerly for the night of the full moon, and his consequent Marauder's Quest, he had been busy exploring his shifter abilities. One thing that he had discovered was the ability to "copy and paste," was Harry's term for it. Basically, he took parts of animals or any other item that he wanted, and put it on a completely different animal form or his human self. Fawkes' favorite was the Basilisk having a runespoor type head system, with sheepdog hair covering their eyes. Hedwig enjoyed seeing Harry the human made up of differently colored feathers.

Aragog's gift was put to good use as he climbed up the tall walls of the Chamber to fix cracks, leaks, and other miscellaneous broken stuff. Harry grinned as he thought of him climbing to the floor vertically. That was fun, although Hedwig jokingly flew around in alarm, acting as if the fire department needed to be called.

Shadow Walking was another fun activity that Harry had done. He discovered that in his Animagus form, he could easily go from shadow to shadow easily. He tried it as a human, and while he was able to melt into the shadows and go to the Shadow Realm, he got hopelessly lost, and had to transform into his Animagus form to get out. Still, it was fun to appear out of nowhere and scare Fawkes, then escape before the bird could retaliate.

Eventually, the time passed, and Harry was waiting in the Shrieking Shack for Moony, the last original Marauder. Even though moonrise was about a half hour away, Harry started to pace. It was a familiar habit, and Harry liked to think while wearing a path in the floor. For this special occasion, Harry transformed into his Animagus form. He was a bit worried about Moony and what a werewolf bite could do to him, but he rationalized that his dad and Sirius got bit a time or two, and nothing happened to him. Also, the Wolfsbane that Remus had been taking would calm down the wolf inside.

Harry's head perked up when his ear caught the sound of footsteps outside. Although he knew it was Remus, Harry decided to go into the nearest shadow, just to be safe.

* * *

Remus stumbled into the room, cursing. He hadn't taken one dose of the required three of the Wolfsbane Potion, and was consequently in a bit of pain. The wolf inside of him rose up, not entirely tamed by the potion. And his transformation was coming early. 

He looked around the room once before he fell to the ground, the first wave of transformation gripping him. His last human thought was he was glad that Harry hadn't arrived yet.

Moony rose from the floor, eyes glowing in the rising moon. He was cognizant of the fact that he was still part human, and knew he would remember everything in the morning. Right now, however, he wasn't in control. The wolf was, and the wolf smelled another in the room.

He ripped apart an already-ragged chair, growling. The other wolf seemed to be here, according to scent, but there was no sight of him.

Turning to exit the Shrieking Shack, wanting out, he heard a noise that he hadn't made. Whirling, all he saw was the flash of a shiny fang in the shadows, before the form tackled him. Moony growled, and tried to fling off the wolf that had come from seemingly nowhere. The strange wolf resisted, and a muzzle closed around Moony's own.

In a flash, the wolf inside him quailed at the signal. Moony recognized the signal as one of superiority. This other wolf was alpha male, and the wolf inside Moony knew that. To show that he understood, Moony laid on his back, showing the other wolf his pale-furred belly, his white flag of surrender.

The other wolf backed off, and allowed Moony to get up. Alpha dominance showed clearly in his pose, Moony thought as he stood on his feet. Then he looked into the other wolf's eyes. They were green. A quick glance at the wolf's head showed a patch of grayish fur in the shape of a lightning bolt above the right eye.

Moony's body language reflected surprise, asking the question that he couldn't. The wolf wagged his tail in affirmation. Moony yipped excitedly, and began licking Harry's wolf chin, a sign of affection. Harry knocked Moony away, and tackled him again, this time in a friendly manner.

Moony won the first few times of tackle, mostly because he had more experience with canine wrestling. Soon afterward, Harry began drawing even with Moony, then won almost every time. In between games of tackle, they took short naps, or played tug-of-war with a broken chair leg, or something to the effect.

They were both tired when the sun started to rise. Moony transformed back, with little pain, and Harry shifted as well when Moony was done.

"Well, Moony, that was fun!" Harry exclaimed, exhausted.

The last Marauder smiled. "Yes, it was. Nice form, Harry!"

"Thanks, Moony." Harry grinned.

"You're quite welcome, Shadowfang." Moony had decided on the name after his first glimpse of Harry, a fang in the shadows.

Harry blinked. "Shadowfang, huh? I like it! So I guess I'm pretty much a Marauder?"

Moony shook his head. "Not until you do the Quest. Do you have the Map with you? I got permission from Dumbledore to use the castle."

Harry nodded. "Yes, I do. Speaking of, please don't tell Dumbledore about my form. Make an excuse or something."

Moony sighed. "Just because I was a Marauder people seem to think that I don't have any sense." He teased. Harry stuck his tongue out at the former Professor.

Harry took a deep breath, and looked at the piece of parchment in front of them. He placed his hand on it, and said, like he'd been told to, "I wish to take the Marauder's Quest." The last Marauder watched anxiously, hoping that Harry would work the quest out.

The Marauder's Map flashed, and Harry's wide eyes regarded the writing that appeared. "_Messrs Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs present the Marauder's Quest. If any of the above are mentioned, please ask them to leave, as this Quest is private._"

Harry turned to Moony. "Um, Moony, the Map says you have to leave."

"Are you sure, Harry?" Moony asked in surprise. When they'd created the Quest option (Peter decided that it wasn't needed, and refused to do it.), they hadn't put anything in the Quest that would ask the applicant to make an original Marauder leave.

Harry nodded, and Moony sighed and walked away. The werewolf wanted to be there for Harry, but the Map said… and it couldn't lie.

When Moony had gone, new writing appeared. "_Future Marauder, according to our records, you have been highly recommended by three of the original Marauders. We will ask three questions, and then give you directions. Do not be afraid to answer out loud, and follow the directions to the letter._

"_First question; do you have an existing name given to you by a Marauder? If so, please state it._"

Harry smiled. "I was given the name Shadowfang by Moony." The Map seemed to absorb this, and it was a few seconds before new writing appeared.

"_Second question; how many detentions have you gotten for; ticking off a teacher, breaking a rule, playing a prank, getting in general trouble, etc._"

Harry had to think about that. With all of those detentions with Umbridge, he had lost count. "Uh, I had this one teacher I really didn't like, and she gave me detention for too many times to count because I kept ticking her off. Let's see, there was one time in first year when I was out past curfew, second year because I helped fly a car into the Whomping Willow, in fifth year, that was the too many detentions to count because of that teacher."

"_Anything else you'd like to tell us?_" Harry grinned at that. "Well, I have probably broken the most rules, school and Ministry, that anyone else my age has. As for pranks, I'm planning a few right now but… does not stopping one from taking place count?"

"_Close enough. Last question; what do you think of Voldemort?_"

Harry saw red, and was afraid that he couldn't recall the specifics of what he said later. "… And a bloody wanker! In short, I hate his guts!" He finished up, breathing heavily.

"_Don't mince words, tell us what you really think!_" Harry chuckled. The Map continued. "_We find your answers to be satisfactory. As of now, your quest begins. You are to find the Marauder's lair using only this map and what has been placed around the school. You may not consult any Marauders. Any questions?_"

"Yes. Does this quest have a time limit?" Harry asked.

"_Not in particular. The faster you find it though, the better chances you have._" Harry nodded. "I understand."

"_Happy Hunting!_" The writing vanished, and the map reappeared.

Harry found an empty classroom, and sat down to think. First, the Lair had to be near Gryffindor Tower or have a secret route to the Tower. It only made sense; all four of the Marauders were Gryffindor, and they needed to be able to get to the Tower quickly in the case of pranks or curfew falling. Second, the Lair would probably need to have a direct line to the kitchens, as the Marauders were… well, boys. Food would probably have been a major part of their pranks.

Harry looked at the map, and willed it to show Gryffindor Tower and its surrounding area. The image appeared, and Harry looked closely at it. There was a passage that ended right next to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Close to that passage, another one opened up, going straight down to… Harry couldn't see it, but he bet that it led either into or right next to the kitchen. Harry smiled, and closed the map. The Marauder's Lair was somewhere around that area. He headed toward the Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

An hour later, a frustrated Harry sat down and collapsed against a wall. He had searched everywhere in the area, and there was nothing but blank wall. There were no torches to pull, indentions in the stone, nothing to indicate if the Lair was there. The Map wasn't giving him any hints. And to top off his irritation, every time he was searching, something flickered at the corners of his eyes. When he turned around, nothing was there. 

Harry leaned his head against the wall, and closed his eyes. Immediately, he opened them. Bewildered, he looked around. Nothing was there except the wall in front of him. He closed his eyes, and saw it again. According to his closed eyes, there was a web of strange light on the wall in front of him. The web was in the shape of a door…

Harry frowned, and opened his eyes again. This must have been a Council Gift, probably Aragog's. But what was he seeing? Once again he closed his eyes, and observed. The light web was pulsing, and there was a spot in the middle that was too bright to see. Colors blended together, pulled apart, all within the strands in the light web.

Eyes still closed, Harry reached toward where the web was. Where his finger should have been, another, more tightly packed web in the shape of his hand, colored golden. His eyes shot open. Could it be? Harry remembered what had happened right after the Aurors arrived. The spell performed on his wand caused it to glow golden, and the Aurors were looking for golden taint… Could it be that he was seeing magic? His… and the spells used to hide the Marauder's lair?

Well, there was only one way to find out. Harry drew his wand, closed his eyes, and said _Lumos_. Immediately, his wand glowed golden, and the spell was white, with some gold web stands in them. Harry knew then that his theory was true.

Grinning, Harry cancelled the spell then touched the brightest spot on the wall in front of him. His eyes opened again, and he felt a surge of triumph when the wall split and slid away. He stepped in, and looked around in awe.

There were couches, in Gryffindor red scattered around, a huge Marauder's Map on a wall, and a big library on what looked to be all books on pranks and how to pull them. It looked homey, with a bit of a war room feel. On one wall, tacked in, was a non-moving picture of a young Snape, with scorch marks all around the frame. Harry guessed that it was used for target practice. Luckily for the picture, whoever threw the spells had lousy aim.

Harry took out the Map. "I have found the Marauder's Lair." He stated. Writing appeared. "_Very good. You have successfully completed the Quest, and are now a full-fledged Marauder. Since you are the first to access the Map's Quest feature, any student who wishes to join must meet your approval. We leave the formation of the new Marauders up to you, Shadowfang._"

The Map stopped writing, and instead, a new room appeared on the Map. Harry looked closer, and saw that it was titled "The Marauder's Lair" The newest Marauder grinned, and thought that it must only appear to those who were Marauders.

* * *

Remus looked at his watch and sighed. It had been over an hour and a half since he had left Harry. The last original Marauder hoped that Harry had completed the quest successfully. 

"Moony? Hello? Earth to Moony!" He blinked, and saw the hand waving in front of his face. Moony followed the hand to its owner, a grinning Harry Potter. "Oh, you are alive. Anyway, I'm done."

Moony sat up excitedly. "You passed?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, I just spent the past few minutes looking for you to tell you I failed. Of course I passed, Moony! I am now, officially, a Marauder."

"Harry, that's wonderful! I mean… Shadowfang." Moony grinned, and slapped Harry on the back. The teen smiled back, and growled. The wolf inside Moony, still somewhat awake after last night, made him back down, recognizing the alpha wolf inside. Harry looked at Moony amused, guessing correctly why Moony backed off.

"Well, Moony, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

The werewolf nodded. "I understand, Harry. Owl me whenever you can. Do you already have your fellow Marauders picked out?"

"Of course. In fact, I'm meeting with them in" Harry checked his watch "An hour or so. And I need to get ready."

Moony sighed. "Go ahead, Harry."

Harry grinned at Moony and waved his hand goodbye. He jogged out of sight of the werewolf, and transformed into his Animagus form. Looking around, Harry slipped into the nearest shadow, and Shadow Walked to the Chamber. He still had a letter to send before he met with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

* * *

Professor Snape leaned back in his chair, and looked warily at the small package and letter in front of him. It had been delivered a few minutes ago by a Snowy Owl, who swooped in, laid the package on his desk, and swooped out. It didn't appear to be anything dangerous, but then again, he couldn't be too sure. Finally, he decided to open the letter, after checking for any spells (there weren't any). 

_Dear Professor Snape,_

_I know it will probably be a big surprise to see this letter, as we aren't on the best of terms. Still, please read on. I have a few things I want to say._

_First of all, I'm sorry I looked in your Pensieve. It was wrong of me, and I shouldn't have done it. Second, I apologize for my dad. He was a git to you, and you didn't deserve it. Last, I'm sorry that I blamed you about Sirius. It wasn't your fault; I realize that now, nobody's fault but Voldemort and Bellatrix._

_Another thing that you should realize is that I'm not my dad. I may look like James Potter, but I'm not him. So please stop treating me like I am. Yes, I am my father's son, but I'm also my mother's. Remember that._

_I also want to take your NEWT Potions class come the first semester. I don't know yet what my owl grades are, but if they are not enough, I ask that you please allow me in. I know you think that I'm incompetent, and perhaps I was, but I'm not any longer. During this summer, I've made many successful potions. If you do not believe me, please, look in the package I've sent with you. It contains a potion that I made, and I believe you will recognize it immediately. I have tested it, and found it to be close to perfect. If you do not believe me, test it yourself. I can now only await your answer._

_Oh, and I give you fair warning: I will not take any of your crap anymore. I'm not a child, and I won't take being treated like one any more. If you cannot realize that I'm an adult, I would be more than happy to show you what I've learned over the summer._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

Snape looked at the letter in disbelief. Had that brat actually threatened him? He decided to deal with Potter later, and opened the package that was on his desk.

Snape's eyebrows rose to new heights when he looked at the vial containing white potion. It looked to be perfectly made… but it was impossible! Even he, as a Potions Master, could not make such a beautifully white Animagus Potion! The closest he had ever gotten was an eggshell white, not nearly as effective as a true white was supposed to have been.

The Potions Professor took the vial, and carefully stored it in his private cabinet. Then he sat down in his chair to think about what he was going to do with Potter.

* * *

"What time is it again?" Ron asked, impatient. They were at the Three Broomsticks, thirty minutes early thanks to Hermione, and waiting for Harry to show. 

Ginny sighed, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Almost four. Harry will be here Ron, just be patient!"

Earlier today, Hedwig had come, dropped off a note that simply said "four o'clock," and left. Hermione insisted that they get there early, so the teens managed to sneak out of Headquarters and catch the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade. There, they ordered butterbeers, and talked quietly, awaiting Harry's arrival.

"Ron, just be quiet. Harry'll be here. And be grateful that we're out of Headquarters." Ginny added her own two Knuts.

"Headquarters is rather dull, isn't it?"

The three of them whipped their heads to see an amused Harry Potter standing in front of their booth. "Hello, girls and guy. Fancy meeting you here."

Harry slid into the booth on Ron's side, and motioned them to be quiet. "Yes, yes, it's good to see you too. We can't talk here. Pay for your butterbeers, and let's go."

Ron coughed, having swallowed wrong at Harry's attitude. It was decidedly different than the one he had sported at the end of last school year. "Where are we going to go?" He asked.

"Someplace private. In other words, where I live now."

At those words, Hermione put a few Galleons on the table to pay for the butterbeers, and motioned for Harry to lead the way. Ginny sighed, gulped down the last of her drink, and slid out of the booth. Harry got up, helped Ron out of the booth, and exited the Three Broomsticks. The others followed him, until Harry stopped in a remote area on the outskirts of the Forbidden Woods.

"Harry, please don't tell me we're going in there! We didn't part with Aragog on the best of terms, remember?" Ron pleaded.

Harry's eyebrow rose in amusement. "No, we're not. This is where we're hitching a ride." What the others didn't hear was Harry's silent mind call. "_Fawkes, could you please come here? I need you to flame Ron, Ginny, and Hermione to the Chamber of Secrets._"

"_Why can't you do it?_" Came the reply. "_Because my shifter abilities are supposed to be a secret, remember? C'mon Fawkes, I need your help._"

Harry heard the Phoenix snort. "_Oh, very well. And I suppose you couldn't Shadow Walk them there?_" He knew he won.

"_Don't want to risk taking passengers._" Harry told the Phoenix.

"Um Harry, are you in there? Where are we going to hitch a ride? Do you mean the Knight Bus?" Ginny asked tentatively. Harry's expression had turned blank for a few seconds there.

As if in answer to her question, Fawkes appeared in a burst of flames. "No, not the Knight Bus, Ginny. Everyone grab a hold of Fawkes' tail, and he'll transport us here.

"_Welcome aboard Fawkes' transport service! Please keep all arms, legs, and any other appendage you do not wish to lose inside at all times._" Fawkes grumbled. Harry laughed as the Phoenix disappeared, with the teens.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny opened their eyes after the strangest ride they'd ever had. Ginny gasped as she realized where they were. Ron thought he knew, and Hermione guessed.

Harry grinned at them all, and Fawkes flew up to join Hedwig on her favorite perch. "Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets, my new home." Harry bowed.

* * *

Well, here it is! I hope you like! Like I said, I'm out of school now, so I'll try to get a regular update schedule up. I wantto give everyone's reviews a chance to come in before I post a new chappie, so it'll be at least a day between updates.

For the two reviews I was not pleased to see, I've boldened their sn's, so they're easily findable. Please, join me as I point and laugh at them.

Wow, HecateDeMort, and Matt 101: Thanks, I'm glad you like! I appreciate your reviews!

Makotochi: I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do in the first chapters. I've kind of gotten the hang of it now. I hope you'll forgive me if I skip a bit of time so that the summer doesn't drag on forever. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like.

PsychicLunar: No lollies, although you mentioned a form, but since it wasn't technically your answer, I can't give one to you. I also liked your little comment (the one your gym teacher liked) As for my life, I'm kind of ticked because I have to repost this chapter (something weird happened...). And I just watched Star Wars III, (better than the first two), so that was fun. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

bandgsecurtiyaw: Thanks, glad you like!

Wytil: Nice guesses, but no lollies. Besides, Harry's form is already posted, so that's not really fair...

Bukama Stealth: I'm impressed and flattered that you read it straight through in one sitting! No lollies, but I was very impresses with your well thought-out guesses. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

xkristy101: Thanks, glad you like! One lolly coming up for the partially correct guess for Harry's marauder name o--. And if I try any longer chapters, the evil that is writer's block will set in, and that will screw up the updates. I appreciate the review!

Shadowed Rains: Yes, your review did make me happy. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

HellsMaji: Good guess, but no lolly! Yeah, super jumping would fall under the physical category

athenakitty: Harry'll find out about the bet later. And although Fawkes knows most of Harry's gift, Harry can still throw the Phoenix for a loop. Ron is growing up, and that was one of the few moments he actually made sense. Be patient, and I can't give you any lollies, sorry. Good guesses. Thanks for reviewing, and glad you like!

BloodlessAce: Thanks. I did R&R your story, it was the least I could do for a nice reviewer like you.

David M. Potter: Thanks! Glad you like!

Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw: One lollie for a partially correctly guess on Harry's Marauder name. I loved your comment about Ron, but no lollies for it ;-) Your other guesses were good, but incorrect.

silence: Thanks! I appreciate your comments!

jkarr: Thanks, I'm glad you like! I appreciate your comment!

HarrySlytherinson: The Fawkes-Albus meeting will occur soon, be patient. You could put my story or me on Alert, so you'll be notified all the sooner about updates. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

Gryffindors: Who said there were no pairings in this fic? They just haven't happened yet. I don't think it's good to have a ship start up and everyone's all lovey-dovey all of a sudden. The Harry/Hedwig relationship was a must... I thought that Harry needed to have a good one with his first friend (besides Hagrid) Oh, and you'll find out about Fawkes and Albus soon.

CastusAlbusCor: Thanks! Glad you reviewed!

Windy River: I am... thanks for reviewing!

Baranwyn: One lolly for the partially correct guess of Harry's Marauder name. o--. Your other guesses were good, but incorrect. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

Danuschka: Two lollies, one for the partially correct guess of Harry's Marauder name, the other for a correctly guessed form, although I can't tell you which one you guessed right, for the sake of secrecy. o--, o--. Thanks for reviewing!

Inimene: Thanks for reviewing! I'm trying to update regularly, so keep watch!

**Calen**: Wow, I didn't know such Idiocy existed! This is not a Dark!Harry fic, so he's not going to "blast those stupid animals into pieces" , and in this fic, Harry's actually grown a little wiser. He realizes that he needs to know himself before he can push himself to the limits! He's also learned patience! If you don't like, don't read, Jerk!

dragons rage:Glad you like, and thanks for reviewing

**suckness**: Yet another idiot. It's not my ego, it's my gesture of appreciation for those who took their time to read and review my story. I never said you had to read all of this, so stop complaining. If you don't like, don't read! Or in other words, if you don't have anything nice to say, piss off!

Bplaya: Sorry, very good guesses, but no lollies! I'mglad you likethe story enough to put in on alert! Thanks for reviewing!

Sky: One lollie for a correct form (but I can't tell you which one you guessed right for the sake of secrecy) o--. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

White Merlin:Thanks, glad you like! Sorry, no lolly for you, but your guesses were good. I appreciate your review!

Fire Sidoni: I do try to veer away from the norm, thanks for the compliment. Three lollies for you! One for your partially correct guess on Harry's name, one for the correct answer to #3, and a correct form (I can't tell you which one, for the sake of secrecy) o--, o--, o--. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

laer: well, you finally get the answer to Aragog's second gift! A lolly for you for the partially correct guess at Harry's name. o--. Lol at your answer to #3. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

heyster1: No lollies, but good guesses. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

shdurrani: Thanks, I appreciate that! Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like!

phoenix catcher: Thanks, I did try to be original! I appreciate the comment and the review!

Catnip070: I'm impressed, you read it one sitting! Very flattered... No lollies, but your guesses were very good. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

Well, that's it!

A few answers: Aragog's second gift was the ability to "see" magic webs, but only when Harry needed it. Harry's Marauder name is Shadowfang. The other questions, you'll find out about later.

Questions:  
1) Which species gave Harry what gift for the seemingly "slow-mo" right before Bellatrix attacked? (I got one correct answer already, but I want to know what gift caused Harry to be able to do that)  
2) What are Hermione, Ron, and Ginny's forms and Marauder names going to be? (I researched this during a break I took during the writing of this chappie. They're pretty much set in stone unless I see a guess that makes me want to change a form and/or name.)

I could only think of two questions, but #1 is really 2-n-1, and #2 is really 6-n-1, so...

Anyway, if you've read, please review! I love to give out lollies and hear from you! However, if you have something negative to say, please be a bit respectful. Constructive criticism is welcome, reviews that say "this is BS" are not. You will be pointed and laughed at if you do. As is evidenced above in the boldened reviewer names.

Until next I update!


	12. Animagus forms and Phoenix flight

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(A/N: I'm sorry for being so late! I had to go to a graduation party, and then play with my orchestra for graduation, and... well, you get the picture. Also, I had trouble figuring out how I wanted to write this. Please forgive me! Oh, and see my response to reviews after you read the chapter)

Chapter 11: Animagus forms and Phoenix flight

Harry's naming of the place where a nightmare took place for years now was the final straw for Ginny. Every once in a while she had the nightmare, about the diary, and her almost-death, waking up just in time to be rescued by Harry. Now, back in the place she hadn't seen in four years, its name spoken out loud, Ginny couldn't take it any more.

Hermione and Ron looked in confusion as Ginny collapsed, curling inward, eyes wide. "What's happening?" Hermione asked. Ron looked clueless. "No idea."

Harry, however, cursed, and knelt next to Ginny. "It's okay now, Ginny. Tom isn't here. Over four years ago we defeated him, remember?"

"T-t-the b-buh-basilisk w-will k-kill y-y-you, if y-you look in its uh-eyes." Hermione figured out what was going on from that, and Ron was clued in as Harry tried to console the youngest Weasley.

"The basilisk is dead now, Ginny. Reduced to Potions ingredients, even! The diary was destroyed, Ginny. It's safe now."

Ginny's unnaturally bright eyes turned toward him. "You'll protect me, right Harry? You won't let Tom get to me?"

Harry felt the wave of sympathy that rushed through him. "Of course, Ginny. You're safe." With that, Ginny's quaking stopped as she went to sleep. Harry used his wand to levitate the limp form onto his bed. Then he turned and looked at Ron and Hermione, both of whom were staring at him.

"How did you know what she needed to hear, Harry?" Hermione was the first to speak. Harry smiled a little sadly.

"It's what I needed to hear whenever I had a bad nightmare," Harry said simply. He didn't mention the fact that he had never received comfort from the Dursleys after his nightmares. He had visited the Department of Mysteries in his dreams almost nightly, ever since he'd gotten back from school. After the Council's transfer, the dreams stopped.

Harry shook himself. "We'll let her sleep. Hermione, Ron, would you like a tour?" They agreed enthusiastically, and followed Harry as he led them around the Chamber, pointing out his little room, his practice arena for dueling, and the area where he made potions. He didn't show them his Potions cabinet, which held the Basilisk ingredients, as well as many of the higher-level potions he had made. The Ministry regulated those potions, and Harry had and was breaking quite a few laws to have made them and kept them. Later on, he would give the three of them the Animagus Potion, so they could find their forms.

After the brief tour (Ron did want to visit the site where their former Professor Idiot, err… Lockhart Obliviated himself with his own spell, but Harry thought that they should do that when Ginny awoke, so she could join in.), Harry led them to the table, conjuring another few chairs so that they all could sit around the table.

Harry summoned some food and drinks, and they relaxed at his table, reminiscing about a few of the episodes Lockhart had put them in, laughing especially over the "Pixie Incident," as it was known throughout the school.

* * *

Ginny woke up to the sound of laughter. At first she thought she was in the Burrow, listening to the aftermath of some sort of prank Fred and George had pulled. When she heard a girl's laughter, she quickly scratched that idea; the only girl in the Weasley household was herself, and her mom surely didn't laugh like that. 

Her eyes opened, and she looked around cautiously. She blinked as she recognized her brother Ron, Hermione, and Harry Potter sitting around a table, smiling and chuckling. "…Valentine's Day? I thought I'd walked into an alternate dimension that morning!" Harry said. Hermione blushed at the memory, which caused the trio to go off in laughter again.

Ginny decided she must still be asleep and dreaming. After the end of last school year, it should've been impossible for Harry to be laughing and smiling with Ron and Hermione this soon. She closed her eyes, and dug herself deeper into the covers, breathing in the strange scent on the pillow.

Hold on a minute. Her pillow always smelled of Wonderful Witch's Hair Rejuvenator, the shampoo she always used when she showered before bed. This pillow… did not.

She bolted upright, noting the walls of gray stone, the serpentine statues… Ginny was wrong. This was no dream she was having; this was nightmare.

"Ginny, how are you? Did you sleep well?" Ginny whirled and saw Harry looking over at her, his eyes concerned. Ron also looked over, his expression lightening. "Great, now we can go see where that git Obliviated himself with by broken wand!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

Ginny blinked. Ron did not usually feature in her nightmares, or sound this cheerful. Hermione didn't invade her dreams at all. Her mind caught up with her then, and she realized this was no dream. Her last memory was of hearing Harry say… "The Chamber of Secrets?" Ginny's voice went up an octave at that.

Harry looked a bit sheepish. "Err, yeah, you see, this was the only place I could think that nobody would find me unless I wanted them to. Sorry, I forgot about what happened second year."

"You forgot? How could you?" Ginny had no idea of how closely she resembled Mrs. Weasley right then. Ron and Hermione flinched, while Harry shrugged.

"Everything turned out all right. You know, the bad guy defeated, the damsel in distress saved, that whole thing." Ginny choked. Was Harry serious, or just bloody insane? "Actually, a bit of both, I think." Ginny realized that she had spoken out loud when Hermione answered.

Harry ran his hands through his hair, grinning apologetically. "That's one way you could put it. Anyway, now that we're all here, I guess you want to know what this is about, huh?"

Hermione was effectively distracted by that change of topic. "Of course, Harry. What's going on?"

Harry settled back in his chair, waving Ginny to the last remaining chair around the table. "Well, you see, I'm the first of the new Marauders. However, I need my pack to join with me, in order to make a proper comeback." Harry started off. "That's where I want you guys to come in."

Hermione frowned. "Harry, Ron and I are prefects! It would look bad if we just started pranking everyone."

Harry grinned then. "Or, it would look good if you cheer the school up, so that the students had something else to focus on then the war."

"War?" Ron asked, blank-eyed. Hermione sighed, and Ginny slapped her forehead in exasperation.

"War." Harry answered firmly. "It may not be declared yet, but the Wizarding World is at war. Think about it, Ron! When Fudge formally acknowledged Voldemort's return that gave the Dark Moron the green light to go ahead and make his presence felt! I think I'm not entirely wrong in saying that Hogwarts students will be heavily impacted during the war."

"What's the green light?" Ron asked. Harry covered his laugh with a cough. "Muggle reference, Ron. Basically means that we've given the go ahead to Voldemort." Ron understood then.

"So, it's basically like… chess! The Queen is out of hiding, and is going to start attacking, now that she can." Ron said brightly,comparing it to one of the only things he knew back to front.

Harry started chuckling, while Hermione, Ron, and Ginny looked at him strangely. "Oh, sorry, just had a thought. Why don't we start calling Voldemort the Dark Queen?" The other three took a second to ponder that, then started laughing. The idea of it was… absurd enough to be funny.

"So why did you chose us to be the next Marauders with you?" Ginny asked, once they all had calmed down enough.

Harry smiled. "Well, all of you have your special talents. Hermione, you know more spells than any of us, and I'm probably correct in saying you're a whole lot smarter than us. You'd be excellent at finding spells to use to prank…err… enlighten the mood at Hogwarts. Besides, you'd be the least suspected of us all, simply because it would be breaking rules, and you're not known to do that." Hermione blushed at the compliments.

Harry turned to Ron. "Ron, you're the strategist. You can plan which pranks will be most effective, find ways to make sure that none of us are implicated when a prank goes off. Which will be important, I assure you." Ron beamed.

"And Ginny, you have the most experience with pranks, given that you're the youngest in a family with seven children. You are the one who can make sure the pranks are pulled off correctly, can advise us on how to pull off the pranks without getting caught." Ginny also blushed.

"And what about you, Harry?" Hermione wondered.

Harry looked at her and grinned. "I'll be your leader, the one who's looked at when a prank goes off. That way, you three don't get in trouble. I will be the one that teaches all of you how to do the Animagus transformation, and can do a bit of each of your jobs, so you don't get overloaded." Harry smiled. "And I'm your ticket to the Marauder's Lair, the Animagus transformation, and other sources that will help us in our mischief."

The other three looked at each other, wondering. Harry was excited about this, they could tell. It was a far cry from the depressed boy at the end of last term.

"When do we transform into Animagi?" Hermione asked, giving Harry his answer. Ron and Ginny looked interested, and Harry knew that they would all go through with it.

"I have the potion that will help you with the transformation with me. I'm not sure how fast you can learn it, but I should be able to help you with it."

Ginny frowned at that. "How fast did you learn it, Harry? For that matter, what is your form?"

Harry looked uneasy. "I had… some help with the transformation. The potion, however, is a good color, so it should cut down on the time it takes to learn the transformation. As for your other question…" Harry transformed.

The teens looked at the black wolf in awe. Ginny couldn't help but reach out a hand to the wolf's head and pat it. Then she remembered that this was Harry. She snatched her hand away, and blushed. Harry wagged his tail, and transformed back into human form.

"As you can see, I'm a wolf. My Marauder name given to me is Shadowfang." Harry announced. The teens looked at Harry in amazement.

"Wow, Harry, what color is the Animagus potion you drank?" Hermione asked. According to the books she had read, the closer to a pure white the potion was, the faster you became an Animagus. That, of course, depended on the drinker's power.

Harry waved his wand, and summoned three vials of the potion into his hand. "White." He ignored Hermione's gasp of astonishment, and continued. "A few things before I give you the potion. One, all of you will either be sitting or lying down right after you drink. I don't know how long it will take, but it's better to make sure you don't collapse. Two, do not attempt the transformation until after I teach you a few things. Three, and last, you do not chose your form. Your form has already been chosen, based on what I know. So do not complain to me if you're not happy with your form." The three nodded in agreement, so Harry placed a vial in each hand. Just as they were about to drink, Harry spoke up. "You might want to find a comfortable place now. And be patient. Your totem will come to you."

Harry conjured two other beds, so that the three of them each had a bed to lie down on. Hermione and Ron eagerly took the newer beds, leaving Ginny to take Harry's. Harry grinned at all of them, gave them a thumb's up, and said, "Bottoms up!" At those words, all three of them drank the potion, and then collapsed back onto the bed.

* * *

An hour later, Harry was flipping a page on the book he was reading, when his ears tuned into the sound of a mattress shifting. He set down the book, and walked over to Hermione's bed. His friend was waking up, eyes slowly opening. "Hello, Hermione. I take it you found your totem?" 

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Yes, I did! Harry, it was wonderful! I'm a…"

She was interrupted by a moan from the other conjured bed. "Harry, are you there? Oh, hi, Hermione." The aforementioned girl glared at Ron. "I was just about to tell Harry that my totem was a…"

"Did anybody catch the rider of that broom?" Harry had to laugh as the last remaining person interrupted Hermione once more.

"Hermione, calm down. I'll find out soon enough. Now that everyone's awake, we can share what we are." Harry pulled a chair over, and sat a short ways away from the ends of the beds. "Since you're so eager, Hermione, would you like to go first?"

Hermione beamed. "I'm a kneazle! I didn't know that you could become a magical creature!"

Harry grinned inwardly at that. They didn't know that he was no ordinary wolf. "I knew that was possible, but I didn't know until now anyone who was one. Great job, Hermione!"

Ron and Ginny agreed, although Ron was a bit impatient. "I'm a red fox!" He blurted out. Harry smiled at him. "Good job, Ron. That's awesome. Ginny, what about you?"

Ginny frowned. "Well, I'm either a Simien Jackal or an Ethiopian Wolf, according to my totem." She was confused. Which one was real? "How can I have two forms?"

Hermione shook her head. "Actually, it's one form. The Simien Jackal is one of its names, and an Ethiopian Wolf is another name."

"That's interesting. That's great, Ginny. Now, all of you listen carefully." Harry said. The three others turned to him.

"I don't know how much your totem told you about your form. In my case, my totem told me practically everything about my form. One thing's for sure; all of you need to research your form. You already know what they look like, but you need to study its anatomy, its habits and habitats, everything. You need to know what you're going to turn into before you transform. Also, do _not_ transform without me supervising. The first transformation is deadly, if you don't know what you're doing. And I don't want any of you stuck in limbo, or have your minds lost within your form. Your totem is your guide and friend, but the animal is not." Harry said sternly. "I want all of you to promise me that you will not transform without my supervision. Wizard's Oath on this."

Ron and Ginny knew immediately how serious Harry was. A Wizard's Oath was the most binding magical contract you could get into. If broken, the consequences on the person would be so severe that nothing could save you. Hermione, who had read about Wizards' Oaths, also understood; this was no frivolous thing, if Harry was demanding this.

The three of them swore Wizards' Oaths that they would not transform without Harry's supervision. A faint tingling of magic ran through their bodies, signifying that their Oath had been taken. There was no backing out now.

Harry's face relaxed, and he grinned at them. "Oh, and we will keep this our little secret. After all, it will be to our advantage if both the Ministry and the Dark Queen don't know that we can become Animagi."

They smiled at each other, before laughing at Voldemort's new name.

* * *

"_Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore!_" The Headmaster flinched at the angry tone that said his full name. 

"Who is there?" The old wizard didn't see anyone around. Yet he had heard his full name, spoken angrily, loud and clear. He turned just in time to duck the blow from a red and gold-feathered wing. He didn't have the chance to duck the blow from the other wing, and was consequently knocked upside the head.

Fawkes landed on his perch, glaring at the Headmaster who was rubbing his head. "Fawkes? Where have you been? And what has gotten into you?"

"_I'll tell you what, you decrepit old fool! You abandoned Harry when he needed you most!_" Fawkes dive-bombed the Headmaster again, who was forced once again to duck.

"Is that… How do I understand you? And what do you mean, I abandoned Harry?"

Fawkes circled back to his perch. "_Last year, ring a bell? Harry still thought of you as a grandfather, before you started completely ignoring him! He was being ridiculed, believed to be a madman and a murderer, and you didn't show him otherwise!_" The Phoenix glared at the Headmaster.

For once in his long life, the Headmaster of Hogwarts was afraid. "What do you mean?" He asked, although he had a good idea.

Fawkes disappeared in a ball of flame, and reappeared right behind Dumbledore. The Phoenix managed to get a few pecks in with his beak, before being discovered and swatted away. "_You mean you don't know what you did? You ignored him! You did only enough to ensure that Harry got off, and then completely abandoned him! You didn't talk to him, didn't bother to ask him if anything was wrong, even though you knew he was feeling guilty over that other boy's death and Voldemort's return, didn't even bother to tell him the truth of why his parents died for his sake! Because of you, Harry's godfather died! And do you know what that caused? Harry believed himself guilty, and went so far into depression that I thought he was going to die!_" Fawkes trilled angrily.

Dumbledore sat still, in shock. "Fawkes, you've been with Harry this whole time? What do you mean that I'm responsible for Sirius' death? And how do you know that Harry was depressed?"

Fawkes flew up in anger, flying around the office, and managing to rake the Headmaster with his talons. "_Because of your abandonment, Harry did not feel as if he could trust you, so he didn't come to you with his visions. When you found out, you handed Harry over to someone who hated him, and when his visions didn't go away, you did nothing. If Harry had been able to come to you with his visions, if you had made yourself available, you could have told Harry that his visions weren't real, and saved him, his friends, and Sirius Black from the fight at the Department of Mysteries! You should've told him the Prophecy a long time ago! Because of you, Sirius is dead! Harry almost died this summer, when he was overeaten with guilt over something that wasn't his fault!_"

Professor Dumbledore covered his eyes with his hands. "I… I thought that he would be better off without me."

Fawkes was able to claw the Headmaster's hand. "_You were wrong._" The Phoenix said with finality.

Looking at his bleeding hand, Albus Dumbledore felt suddenly very old. Every word the Phoenix had said was true, striking him to the core. "Does… does this mean you are leaving me?" The thought pained him. Fawkes had appeared right after the fight with Grindelwald, and had been his loyal companion ever since.

Fawkes considered this as he settled on his perch. "_Not exactly. I will come when it is an emergency, but other than that, I do not want to see you._" Fawkes hesitated then spoke the words that he had said to Dumbledore many years ago, with slight variations, of course. "_I choose to stay with Harry James Potter of my own free will. I will guide him when necessary, die for him, and live for him. It is to him that I give him my loyalty and my love._" These were words that Phoenixes used to pledge themselves to a person, although it was usually done in front of said person, and the words weren't normally understood. However, Fawkes knew that Dumbledore needed to know.

The Headmaster let a tear fall from his cheek. It was done then, Fawkes had chosen a new master. "_However, I will always fight for the Light, and help those who fight against the Dark._" Dumbledore looked up. Fawkes looked hard at the old man, and then disappeared in a ball of flames. It was the Phoenix way of saying that Dumbledore had been given a second chance.

Dumbledore sighed, and rubbed his temples. He had lost Fawkes, because he hadn't made the right decisions. And what the Phoenix said was true; he was partly responsible for Sirius' death, and Harry consequent depression. Dumbledore didn't know how the Phoenix knew this, and right now, it didn't seem to matter. Fawkes wouldn't lie with something like that, probably couldn't. Whatever the Phoenix had done to snap Harry out of it, the Headmaster was grateful. The Harry that Dumbledore had seen at the trial, a confident, more mature version than last year, was much preferred over the silent, depressed Harry that had left Hogwarts over a month ago.

The Headmaster sighed, and resumed his paper work, wondering how he could ever make things right again.

* * *

Well, there it is! I'm sorry it's so late, but graduation situations interfered, as did writer's block. And I'm now a senior (well, technically I was one in credits during my sophomore year, and I'm not a full senior until school starts back up, but who cares about that?)!

Now, as to the reviews that have been saying that they don't want Harry/Ginny, or Ron/Hermione: This fic is going to contain those pairings. Once Ginny got off the whole "He's the Boy-Who-Lived" hero-worship thing, hercharacter became much more... suitable to Harry. After all, out of all the other girls that we've seen so far in the HP series, she's really the only one who encountered Voldemort on a personal level, and can understand a bit of Harry's predicament. Until OotP, no one else had really understood what Voldemort was like except for her. And you gotta say she has guts, surviving with six older brothers...

As for Ron/Hermione, they argue constantly, their own way of flirting. Although they are technically opposites (Hermione: bookworm, teacher's pet, Ron: Quidditch fanatic, lazy), you know the saying "opposites attract"? Hopefully, their relationship will get their seperate characters to rub off on each other, so that Ron becomes... more responsible, and Hermione relaxes a bit.

Oh, and just so you know, the relationships aren't going to happen in a flash. Harry's not going to look into Ginny's eyes and fall hopelessly in love with her, and the birds are going to sing and all that crud. Same goes for Ron and Hermione. That's too cliche, and as you all know by now, I try to veer from the norm. If you don't like HG, RH, please, just try it. Either that, or ignore that and focus on Harry. Or, you could always follow my policy of "don't like, don't read." Your choice.

Now, onto the reviews!

Nameless Heretic: (ch 8 revvie) Thanks, I think everyone liked that chapter. (ch 10) I'm working on it (ch 11 revvie) There's your answer! Thanks for reviewing!

lilsteves: One lollie for partially guessing Harry's Marauder name o-- Your other guesses are incorrect. Hope you like your lolly!

them91: That would be kind of creepy, if you ask me. Harry staring at the stars, saying vacant thinngs like "Mars is bright tonight" isn't exactly what I had in mind him doing...

mr.myth310: Thanks! I do like to veer from the norm... No lollies today, but good guesses! (ch 11 revvie) Yes. A shifter has the abilities of the form that he's wearing. Thanks for reviewing.

Lady Papayas: Good guesses, but no lollies. Thanks, and I'm glad you like!

SHAWNIE: err, something weird happened when I tried to post. Sorry 'bout that. I had to repost the entire chapter (including review responses...) when I found out that I had done that.

Wytil: Thanks for reviewing, but no lollies!

Bukama Stealth: Thanks! As you have read, Harry is a bit clueless when it comes to girls' feelings. As he saw it, there was nothing to be worried about. And the Map gave the responsibility to induct the new Marauders to Harry, so they don't have to worry about finding the Lair. As for the Fidelius Charm, I hadn't thought about that. If Harry knows whatto look for , then yes, I guess he could. We'll just have to wait and see! Oh, no lollies... you can see why in the chapter.

Makotochi: Thanks, glad you like, and appreciate the review!

: See comments above. I'm glad you like, but I think Harry and Ginny are suited for each other (no, I'm not going to have them discover that they are soulmates or something...). Don't worry, it won't happen for a while.

CastusAlbusCor: Thanks! Hey, the wait's good for you! Don't you know that patience is a virtue? (Although it isn't one of mine ;-) )

blackcat: Ron is a fox, but that's not going to be his Marauder name. o-- for you! The other guesses are incorrect, as you now know, but very good guesses. Thanks for reviewing, and I appreciate the comments!

HarrySlytherinson: Well, I did put the confrontation in... you happy? Fawkes and Albus will have a few problems to iron out, but other than that, they'll just be distant friends for now. As for Harry, he's really not one to brag. He may throw in a subtle joke, but other than that, he doesn't really want to think about Dumbledore right now. As for the next chapters, you'll have to wait. I won't hurt you! Honest! I'm nice to those who review (as long as they're nice about it, or at the very least, polite). Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

boilingseas: Aww, you're making me blush! There will be some Umbridge and Percy bashing, as for Snape, you'll see. You get two lollies! Yes, the gift is from the snidget, and it did make him speed up, but it seemed as if time was going slowly.o--, o--. The Futurama analogy is pretty much correct (I saw that episode...), although Harry doesn't need to drink 100 cups of coffee to speed up. You'll find out more about the gift later on. Thanks for reviewing!

SeventhSpanishAngel12: Thanks! I thought that it would be kind of funny to have Harry know all these obscure laws that serve his purpose, and the Minister of Magic look like a fool for not knowing them. Glad you like, and I appreciate the review!

PsychicLunar: No idea what Zatch Bell is, but I'm glad you're happy. As for me reposting, something went wrong, and the whole story (prologue to chapter 10) was posted as I'd written it. I had originally just put Chap 10 on, and posted review responses, but something went wrong... made me ticked off. Thanks for reviewing!

HecateDeMort: Thanks!

**Darthvader2209**: You don't know net etiquette, do you? It's impolite to type in all caps, as it's considered shouting. Also, as I've stated previously, my responses to the reviews are my way of thanking the reviewers personally. Just so you know, my policy is, "Don't like, don't read." I suggest you apply that. I never said you had to read all those review responses. And if you don't have anything nice to say, it's better left unsaid.

Baranwyn: Thanks for the comment. I really appreciate it. I'm glad you like the story, and thanks for the review!

animagus form: As you've seen, I've kind of taken care of that.

shdurrani: Sorry, but it was necessary. Thanks, I'm glad you like! I appreciate the review!

Foz: lol, thanks! You get two lollies for your correct guess of a snidget, and the ability! o--, o--. I loved the little blurb about a bookworm, but as you can see, Hermione's not one. Good guesses, though! Thanks for reviewing, and glad you like!

**Calen**: Very mature! Wow, did you come up with all that yourself? My policy is "Don't like, don't read!" if you don't like me, and wish to spite yourself, go ahead, don't read my fic! Please, save us from your immaturity!

diecicento: It's going to be. Thanks, I'm glad you like, and I appreciate the review!

Merle Elendil: o--

Danuschka: Glad you liked the lollies. Thanks for the support and the review!

Locathah: I try to avoid that, and I'm sorry if it's happening. Of course, part of the reason that they've appeared to be more human is the fact that Harry understands them, and their expressions, and interprets them into human expressions that are the closest. Thanks for the review!

HermioneGreen: Thanks! I'm glad you like! Sorry, no lollies for you, though. Very good guesses, but as you now know, those aren't their forms. I appreciate the review!

bandgsecurtiyaw: thanks!

Windy River: Thanks, and I'm working on it!

mewer44444: Thanks, glad you like! I appreciate the review!

David M. Potter: Good guesses, but no lollies. Thanks, glad you like!

BlindJedi: Whew, long revvie! No lollies, as you can see that your guesses are incorrect now...they were good guesses, though! As for Ron, he's going to mature a bit, but it's not going to be all at once. I've never thought of Harry/Ginny to be incest, although I can see why you would say that. I just think Mrs. Weasley would approve. And I've already addressed the whole pairings issue above. Sorry, but I think that's what should happen. Like I said though, both couples aren't going to suddenly decide that they're madly in love with each other, and start looking for unoccupied broom closets to snog in. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like!

Keaira Black: Yes, sooner or later I am. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like

HeWhoComesWithTheDawn: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

laer: I thought you might like that. no lollies, although your guesses were good (a snail? I guess I can see where you would think of that, but snails move slow, everyone else moves fast. Not the case here) Thanks for reviewing!

insanechildfanfic: Thanks, glad you like!

Regulus Black II: I already addressed this with another reviewer, but I'll say it again. The Map entrusted Harry with choosing the next Marauders, and introducing them to the Marauder's Lair. You get a lolly for a correct guess! o--. Yes, the Snidget did give Harry that ability that he used during the beginning of the Marauder's attack. Your other guesses were good, but incorrect. Thanks for reviewing!

Aria-Chan: Thanks! I'm glad you like, and I appreciate the review!

Behind Crimson Eyes: lol, just don't bump into a tree. I thought that Shadowfang suits Harry, in more ways than one. To everyone except Harry, everyone will assume that the shadow part refers to his coloring, but to Harry, it holds a double meaning. And no, I wouldn't do that to Ron. See his form? I do have some sympathy for him. Thanks for the review (Believe what you want. Just remember that I denied it. Besides, I live in America, not England or Scotland, and I'm 17, so I couldn't possibly be JKR.)

BferBear: Thanks, glad you like!

crabinho: See comments above. sorry, but it is.

jabarber69: blushes Aww, you made me blush! Thanks for the compliments! As for the interaction, I'm glad you like it. I thought it would add a bit to the story and Harry's character. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like!

Well, that's it! Like I said, this will be HG, and RH. See my comments above to find our why.

Q&A time!

A few answers:Some of you got it right! The Snidget gave Harry the ability to move faster than everyone around him, making it seem as if time slowed down. Harry, of course, thought he was moving normally, and didn't notice. As for the forms, Hermione is a kneazle, Ron is a fox, and Ginny is a jackal. I know most of you will probably be confused at Ginny's form, as jackals are seen as bad, but research them like I did! I thought that what I read suited Ginny. Although there is not much info about the Simien Jackal, AKA Ethiopian Wolf,I believe that what every other jackal subspecies does, it applies to the Simien Jackal. So, if you want to know why Ginny is a jackal, read up on them. They're really given a bad rap.

Questions:

1) What is Hermione's Marauder name?  
2)What is Ron's Marauder name?  
3) What is Ginny's Marauder name?

There you go! Again, I'm sorry you had to wait so long! I'll update ASAP! R&R please!


	13. Kidnappings Galore!

Disclaimer: See previous chappies

(A/N: Sorry this is so late! I was infected a bit by Summer Laziness, and Writer's Block, and today some vampires (disguised as doctors wanting blood work) got me... And I was a bit disappointed by the lack of reviews, but I now realize that FF was down, so that made me a bit happier! Okay, I'll let you read now. See my AN after...)

Chapter 12: Kidnappings Galore!

The Order had gone frantic once again. This time, there were three people that had gone missing. Hermione Granger, Ron, and Ginny Weasley were nowhere to be found.

At first, they were sure that they had just stepped out to the backyard to fly a broom around or something like that. The three teens weren't there. Then the Order rationalized that they were in their rooms. They checked. The three teens weren't there. Only slightly worried at this point, the possibility that they were hiding in the house, playing a prank on the Order, went up. A full-scale search of the house didn't turn up the teens. An owl was sent, with a tracking charm on it, to each of the teens. Reassured that the owls would find them, the Order relaxed.

The owls came back, their letters unopened. That was when the Order started to panic. It was bad enough that Harry had run away; now his friends were gone, possibly kidnapped.

A meeting had been called, and everything was going down hill. "My two youngest are missing, presumed kidnapped, and you suggest we just sit around and wait?" Molly Weasley glared at Snape, who sneered at her.

"Those stupid Gryffindors probably ran away to join their Golden Boy. The know-it-all will probably quail at this breaking of the rules, and come back with her tail between her legs. Then she will tell us where they went, and we will collect the brats, including Potter."

Molly Weasley was about to start yelling, when Dumbledore arrived in the kitchen. All of the members turned to stare. For one, their esteemed leader was bleeding from small wounds, some looking like scratches. His robes were even torn. For another, he _looked_ old and broken. The usual twinkle in his eyes was at record low levels, almost nonexistent. The shocked Order members, Snape included (although he did not show it), wondered what had happened to their leader.

"Headmaster, is everything okay?" Professor McGonagall asked tentatively.

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, Minerva. I take it you are discussing the disappearance of Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley?" He sat down at his usual seat slowly.

The Order members nodded, still a bit stunned at this change in the Headmaster. "We don't have any clue to their whereabouts." Mundungus Fletcher, who was normally drunk, sounded dead sober. He had been a little…tipsy, but the appearance of Dumbledore had the same effect as someone tossing a bucket of cold water on him. His clear-headedness made some of his fellow Order members stare incredulously at him, before turning their attention back to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "What have you already… Fawkes?" His head shot up, as he sensed the Phoenix coming closer.

Indeed, the Phoenix appeared in a ball of fire. Clutching to his tail were the missing teens. "Wow, that was bloody awesome!" Came the comment from Ron.

Hermione smacked him upside the head. "Ron, watch your language!" Ron glared at her, and Ginny covered her mouth to hide her giggles.

"Where in the world have you three been?" Molly Weasley stood, and glared at them. Ron blinked, and pointed at the Phoenix. Fawkes shook his head violently, trilled in alarm, and disappeared. Ron muttered something about "traitorous overgrown roasted turkey," and this time, both Hermione and Ginny had to hide their laughter. Some of the order members were quietly snickering.

At Mrs. Weasley's glare, Ginny quailed. "Um, we've been with Harry, Mum." She tried to placate the angry matriarch of the Weasley family.

Her words caused a shock wave among the gathered Order members. Remus grinned; he had a very good guess as to why Harry had wanted to see them. Snape smirked in triumph. Dumbledore seemed to gather himself at those words.

"Ms. Weasley, do you know where he is?" The Headmaster asked gently.

The teens looked at each other with smirks. All three of them knew very well where Harry was, especially Ginny. "Of course, Professor! However, Harry made us promise not to tell, and we can't break that." Ginny said with a small smile.

Professor Snape stood up, put his hands on the table, and glared at the youngest Weasley. "You will tell us now, or I will dose all of you with Veritaserum." Ginny merely smiled back at him, causing the Potions Professor to grow more furious.

Hermione wrung her hands. It pained her to not tell the Professor, but… she looked up as an owl flew through an open window. Not just any owl, but a Snowy Owl named Hedwig. Hermione held out her arm, and Hedwig landed, stretching her leg out. Hermione took the letter, and Hedwig flew away.

"What does it say, Miss Granger?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

Hermione motioned Ron and Ginny over, and they looked at it and grinned. "Harry's given permission for us to tell you."

Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Well? Are you going to tell us, or are you waiting for the apocalypse to happen?" He sneered at them.

Ron looked at Ginny, who looked to Hermione, who looked back at Ginny. The youngest Weasley sighed, and capitulated. "He currently resides in the Chamber of Secrets."

As the Order started to whisper, Remus couldn't take it any more. He started laughing.

* * *

"What did we do to deserve this?" Ron grumbled, staring at the wall. Hermione and Ginny sat on the bed. All three of them had been confined to a bedroom, so that the Order could digest this new information that had been given them. 

Hermione sighed. "Ron, calm down. The Order has things that they need to discuss that we can't hear…"

"That's bollocks, and you know it Hermione. They're just upset that we managed to evade their little headquarters and get out on our own." Ron told her.

Ginny sighed as the two got into an all-out argument. She idly wondered when they would realize they fancied each other. It was painfully obvious. There was even betting among the residents of Gryffindor Tower when they would get together. And Ginny had heard rumors of pools going in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as well.

She raised her head when the door to the room opened, and Remus came in. Hermione and Ron paused in their argument as he closed the door.

"I take it Harry wanted you to be the next generation of Marauders?" Remus opened with.

Hermione nodded. "You were the one that inducted Shadowfang, weren't you?"

Remus looked pleased. "He showed you his form? Quite impressive, isn't he?" The werewolf was still proud of how fast Harry had transformed.

"It was bloody awesome!" Ron declared. He didn't quite duck another swat to his head, courtesy of Hermione. "Ron!" He rubbed his head, frowning.

Ginny grinned. "Yeah, it was pretty cool. And we even found out our own forms! I'm a Jackal, or a Wolf, I'm not quite sure which."

Hermione sighed. "Ginny, its one form, just with a multitude of names. A Simien Jackal is the same as an Ethiopian Wolf. Professor, I'm a kneazle!"

Not to be outdone, Ron smiled. "And I'm a fox!"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Well done, all of you! I didn't know that you could have a magical form, good job, Hermione! And please, I'm no longer your Professor. Call me Remus, or Moony, if you prefer."

Hermione looked queasy at that. It was sacrilege to her to not call a Professor, even a former one, by a first name or nickname.

Ginny chuckled. "We'll try, Pro- Moony. Anyway, Harry told us that you could help us look up information on our forms. Would you?"

Remus grinned. "For Shadowfang, and his new pack, I'll do anything. I believe we have some books in the Library about all sorts of creatures. If you'll just wait a moment, I'll get them for you." At the teens' nods, Remus slipped out of the room.

* * *

As the werewolf stealthily slipped out of the library, books in hand, he overheard a bit of the Order meeting going on, the one that he'd been dismissed out of because he was laughing too hard to make any useful comments. 

"We have to get Harry! He's not safe!" Remus rolled his eyes. Molly Weasley was too overprotective of Harry sometimes.

"If what those brats said was true, then Potter is safer than we are." Remus recognized the silky drawl of a most-likely sneering Snape. Silently, the werewolf agreed with the Potions Professor.

He heard Dumbledore sighed. "We will send an owl to Harry, asking him to come back. As of now, I believe that Severus is correct; he is safer than we."

"Headmaster, what about Fawkes? Could we not use the Phoenix to teleport one of us to the Chamber, then teleport him back here?" That was from Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore sighed again. "That will not work, Minerva. Fawkes is fond of Harry, and I do not think he will teleport us to the Chamber to kidnap Harry."

Remus left, having heard enough. He snickered as he climbed the stairs; his sensitive ears accidentally catching protests that they weren't trying to _kidnap_ Harry, only making sure that he was safe by _relocating_ him to a place where they could protect him.

* * *

Harry smirked as he conjured a pebble, thinking about the Order's probable reaction to the news that he was right under Dumbledore's nose all that time. All of them would start making plans to kidnap Harry, although they wouldn't call it kidnapping. Snape would sneer, calling him a bigheaded, attention-seeking brat, or something of the sort. Mrs. Weasley would start crying, demanding that Dumbledore get him and bring him back under their wing. Dumbledore himself would be trying to calm everyone down. 

Harry shrugged, banishing thoughts of the Order from his mind, and concentrated on the pebble in front of him. He was attempting a very hard exercise that was highly recommended, a mix of charms and transfiguration. First, he had to conjure a small object, transfigure, charm, transfigure, charm, and so on until the finished product was nothing like the start, then break all the spells at once, turning the object back into its original form, then banish it.

Closing his eyes to see the magic that he was going to use better, Harry swished his wand, levitating the pebble to about level. Another wave and the pebble transfigured into a small cup. The cup then was charmed to become another color, and was transfigured shortly after.

Making his way through various changes, Harry watched with fascination as various webs shrouded the object, forming into the shapes that the pebble became. Even though the pebble was now a purple with neon green polka dots covered television, Harry saw through the magic, and could make out a small gray pebble.

A few changes later, and Harry opened his eyes, grinning at what was in front of him. A floating, neon pink with bright purple and neon green dots all over, small muggle house lay in front of him. Harry winced at the colors; they hurt his eyes. Closing his eyes, Harry looked at what seemed a mess of webs, ready to break all the spells at once. The exercise forbid using a simple "_Finite Incantatem_" to revert the object back to normal; instead, Harry had to find a way to call the object's nature to the fore, rendering all the spells useless.

Harry thought about it, before grinning. There was a simple spell that could technically work, if he modified it just a bit…

"_Accio Pebble_" Harry said, pointing his wand directly at the pebble amidst the magical webs, concentrating hard on what he wanted. A web of golden magic shot out of his wand, plunging through the mass of webs around the pebble, heading straight for the small rock.

Harry saw his magic grab the pebble, and start pulling it toward him. He felt resistance, as the pebble broke through the various webs, making them disappear. Harry opened his eyes to see the house disappear, changing until it went back to the bed it was before Harry transfigured it into the house. Closing his eyes once again, Harry saw the pebble breaking up the webs, going faster than before.

He focused his strength on the Summoning spell, making the pebble speed up as the golden magic around it went faster as well. In a few seconds, Harry held the pebble in his hand, completely free from any spells or transfigurations. A triumphant smile lit Harry's face, as he tossed the pebble up and down in his hands.

"_You did very good, Harry! You've improved since last year!_" Harry turned around, startled at the voice. Hedwig, who'd returned from her deliver, stuck her chest out in pride at her master.

Harry grinned. "_You startled me! Thanks, Hedwig, I was surprised I could do it. How did they take the letter?_"

Hedwig shook her wings. "_Well, the red-haired girl told everyone, and they were shocked. The werewolf started laughing_." Although she had flown away as soon as she had delivered it, Hedwig had immediately stopped to listen in.

"_Figures Moony would. He was probably tickled pink that I thought of it, and no one else had._" Harry shook his head, amused.

Hedwig cocked her head, puzzled. "_No, I did not see him turn pink, nor was he tickled._"

"_It's a human expression, Hedwig. It means that he was amused._" Harry explained.

Hedwig preened her wings. "_Silly humans. 'Tickled pink' indeed!_"

Harry chuckled, and went to his bed. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling, thinking. He wanted to make sure that his friends went through their transformations without losing their minds on the first one. Sure Moony was there at Headquarters, but he never became an Animagus, so he wouldn't be much help. Professor McGonagall was there, and she was an Animagus, but she would ask questions, and Harry couldn't afford that.

As he saw it, Harry had two options. He could either move to Headquarters, which he really didn't want to, as he would be under close supervision, or he could find a way to get his friends to live with him. Harry preferred the second option, but with the two youngest Weasleys in his group, Mrs. Weasley would most likely object, and forbid them to come.

Well, Harry thought with a mischievous grin, if that happened, Harry would just have to kidnap them.

"_Harry, an owl is asking if he should deliver a letter from Dumbledore to you._" Harry looked up at Hedwig.

"_From Dumbledore? Probably asking me to go to HQ, and surrender quietly. Ask him if Dumbledore placed any charms on him or the letter, please._"

Hedwig blinked, transmitting the message. "_He says that Dumbledore waved his wand at the letter, saying something like 'Poor tus.' Is that bad?_"

Harry frowned. "_Yes, it means that the letter is a portkey. Ask your friend to come here. Dumbledore's going to get a little surprise when I arrive, that's for sure._" Harry told Hedwig. The Owl obeyed.

Harry sent out his own mind. "_Fawkes?_" He tried to reach the Phoenix.

"_Yes, Harry? Do you need me?_" Came the answer. Harry couldn't help but grin at his success at talking telepathically across a distance.

"_Actually, Fawkes, I do. Dumbledore's forcing me to go to Headquarters, and I'll need a way out. When I call, could you appear and take me away? I might also try to get my fellow Marauders to come._" Harry realized that if he was going to get his friends to the Chamber, now was the time.

"_He's WHAT? Oh, I'll do whatever you want, Harry. When you call, be ready._" Harry winced as he felt Fawkes' anger in the transmission. Apparently the Phoenix was ticked off at Dumbledore.

"_Thanks, Fawkes._" Harry sent, and made a few adjustments to the Chamber while he waited for the portkey to come.

* * *

By the time the owl arrived, a partition was set up, with Harry's and another bed on one side, and two other beds on the other side. Each bed had a small table with a lamp on it beside the head of the bed, and a dresser opposite the foot of the bed, against the partition. Mirrors hung above each dresser. All was in readiness for the rest of the Marauders to live with Harry. Of course, they would add their own little personal touch to their separate areas, and some modifications would undoubtedly be made, but for now, they could live with this. 

"_Hedwig, as soon as I arrive, could you deliver this to Hermione, Ron, and Ginny? You'll need to perch on my shoulder._" Harry asked, handing the Snowy Owl a scribbled letter.

"_As you wish, Harry._" Hedwig flew to his shoulder, and clasped the letter in her beak.

Harry took one last look around, and turned to face the owl that had somehow managed to find its way in to the Chamber, carrying Dumbledore's letter/Portkey.

"_Hello, Harry Potter. The Owls all know now that you can speak to us._" The owl inclined his head towards Harry.

Harry smiled. "_I am grateful for your assistance. Without contacting Hedwig ahead of time before delivering the letter, we would have been in a bit of trouble. Thank you._"

The owl dipped his head in a bow. "_It is no trouble for us, Harry Potter. I hope that you are well. Hedwig, you have a nice human. Make sure you keep him_." He dropped the letter he was carrying at Harry's feet.

Hedwig hooted, amused. "_I will._" The other owl flew off, and Harry looked at Hedwig. "_Your human?_" Hedwig kept silent.

Harry shrugged, and bent to pick up the letter, wand out. Sure enough, as soon as he touched it, he felt a hook behind his navel, jerking him away.

He stopped in front of the Order, and thankfully he didn't collapse like the last times he used a Portkey. Hedwig flew away, and Harry twirled his wand between his fingers, hiding his temper.

"Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting that." Harry grinned evilly, his eyes glinting. Oh yes, he was ticked off, and based on the way some of the Order glanced nervously at each other, they were aware of it. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore. Fancy seeing you here, when I thought I made it clear I didn't want to see you until next year! What an amazing coincidence!" The Order members could almost see the sarcasm dripping from his words. Suddenly, some of them were very, very afraid.

* * *

Well, again, I'm sorry for this being so late. Like I said, Summer Laziness, Writer's Block, vampires (AKA Doctors who wanted my blood), and the lack of reviews kind of slowed my writing of this chapter down. But the lack of reviews is partly because of FF being off, so that's been cured. I'll try not to let SL, WB, and vampires distract me from the next chapter.

Also, I've been getting complaints about my reviews. Seeing the first polite review asking me to tone it down, I decided to think about it. And here's my response: I will write full responses when there's not many reviews, or very short revvies. If there are a lot of revvies, I'l write short responses, or just acknowledge and thank those that reviewed. If I keep getting anastronomical number of reviews, I'll seriously consider putting my e-mail up, so that I can respond personally to those that reviewed. If you do want a response when the review numbers go up, please leave an email, so I can email you.

Okay, onto the reviews! Since there wasn't that many at the time of this posting, I'll do this like normal, and then next chapter I'll do what I said above. Okies? Ok! You know the drill by now (I hope)

Keaira Black: Thanks! I'm glad you like, and I appreciate the review!

HeWhoComesWithTheDawn: Thanks, sorry 'bout not updating, but I'll try to keep a steady update schedule. Appreciate the review!

CastusAlbusCor: He's not so lovable right now, is he? Oh well... ;-) Thanks for the review!

PsychicLunar: I'm glad I cheered you up, and Zatch Bell is an anime, I'm guessing? R&R your fic... Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like!

shdurrani: Hehe, Ron is a bit of a dunce when it comes to... erm... almost everything? Albus isn't one of Harry's favorite people right now, as you can see. Or Fawkes' for that matter... Thanks for reviewing!

jessdarkwater: Thanks, I'm glad you like the fic! While I do try to veer from the norm (as I've said many times before), I still try to make (a little bit of) sense. The forms and pairings are a result. Thanks for your support, and for the review!

HermioneGreen:-D Thanks! I'm glad I passed too! Otherwise, you'd probably have to wait until the end of the summer until the next chapter got posted (my parents would kick me off the 'puter...) and I'd have a mob of angry people after me! So I'm glad that didn't happen! Thanks for the review

mewer4444: blushes I wouldn't say I'm the best, but thanks! Just remember, this is my theory on how Dumbledore got Fawkes, so it's not true unless JKR says so. Good guess, but no lollies. Thanks for the review!

nonion: sorry, no lollies (Crookskanks? Do you mean Crookshanks? The first wouldn't be... erm... appropriate, and the second is already taken by Hermione's pet)Thanks for the review!

Wytil: Really? I've never read that book... just thought it up myself.. wow, that's kinda cool... Anyway, no lollies (thank goodness ;-) ) So, no, I don't need a psyciatrist. ;-) Thanks, glad you like, and I appreciate the review!

Catnip070: No lollies... good guesses, but incorrect. Thanks for the review!

like: you are the polite person I mentioned above. As I've stated, I'll tone down the responses. I'm glad you like, and thanks for not just yelling and telling me I suck! I appreciate that!

lil1318: Thanks for the advice. I'm not planning for H/G to get together in the near future. I'm glad you like, and thanks for the review!

Bloodless Ace: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the confrontation... Thanks for the review!

rockyfort: Ha ha, dad, very funny. I haven't seen my friend since last summer, so be nice. Thanks, love ya!

Windy River: Er... here you go?

HecateDeMort: Glad to see you again! Thanks for the review!

Treck: Thanks, I figured out why there weren't that many reviews after I read that.

albert87: Thanks! I'm glad you like! I appreciate the review!

Katherine: Yeah, I'll try to write some more soon

Ferdia: I think I stated that there wouldn't be a repeat, but if you didn't read that, there will be no betrayal. If there was, do you think I would tell? ;-) Thanks for the review, glad you like!

Tmctflyboy: Thanks! Glad you like!

APS: Interesting siggy... Thanks, glad you like!

Well, there it is! Enough of that, Q&A time! (or is it A&Q the way I"m doing it?)

Answers: You'll find out within the next couple of chapters. If I can work it in, it'll be in next chapter

Questions:  
1) What is Hermione's Marauder name?  
2) What is Ron's Marauder name?  
3) What is Ginny's Marauder name?  
4) Do you like what I'm going to do with review responses (a free lolly for you if you even answer!)

Okay, until next time!


	14. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the Chamber we...

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(A/N: Here's the next chapter! It's a little longer than usual, but I'm sure you won't mind! My wonderful mother beta'd this chapter... didn't she do a great job? Anyway, as usual, read, and see my AN at the bottom.)

Chapter 13: Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the Chamber we go!

Hermione was currently in heaven. She was reading some very in-depth books about kneazles—her Animagus form. She glanced up quickly, and smiled at the sight of Ron and Ginny similarly engrossed in books about their Animagus forms. Of course, the very thought of Ron actually reading a book when he didn't have to made her smile widen.

A tapping at the window drew her attention, and she rose to open it. A familiar Snowy Owl flew in, sticking her leg out to Hermione. "Hedwig, what are you doing here?"

That made Ron and Ginny look up, and Remus, from where he had sat in the corner, looked her way.

"What does Harry say?" Ron asked, as curious as Hermione.

Hermione unrolled the note, and read over it quickly. Her eyes widened as she reread it, unable to believe her eyes. "Harry says that he's kidnapping us! We have to gather all of our stuff, and meet him downstairs."

Remus shot up, looking at the letter. He frowned as he read it.

_Dear my new Marauders,_

_I know you're probably wondering why I'm writing you when I just saw you a few hours ago. Well, here's the deal._

_I'm kidnapping all of you. I know, I'm not doing it properly, as I shouldn't have told you, but I kind of have to. I suspect that you probably got into a lot of trouble for escaping the Order, and won't be able to see me again until Hogwarts. Seeing as you're going to be Animagi, I can't allow that to happen. I know you swore, but I'm worried about what you'd do to be able to transform. No offense to Moony, but he was never an Animagus, and can't warn you about the transformation. Professor McGonagall is there, but I'd rather not have anyone know that we're going to be Animagi. After all, we do have to take after our predecessors, don't we? That means going illegal. Hermione, don't shudder at that. We're at war, and any extra advantages will help save our hides._

_So, gather your stuff now. Including whatever books that Hermione's probably already searched the whole library for. You're not going to be back until next summer, as you're going to live with me in the Chamber of Secrets. I've already made accommodations for everything; all that's missing is you and your stuff._

_As soon as you're done packing, get Moony to shrink everything, and come downstairs. Hedwig will guide you. Moony's welcome, if you can find him in time, to come with us. Make sure you burn this letter as soon as you read, and scatter the ashes. Yes, I'm being paranoid, but I'd rather not have anyone discover what we're up to, eh?_

_See you soon,_

_Harry_

Ron and Ginny also read this, shocked. "You know, I think he's serious about it," Ron mused.

Hermione nodded. "I think you're right, Ron. Well, let's get to packing!"

The two Weasleys looked at Hermione, startled. "You mean you're not going to start wringing your hands, moaning about how this will surely make the Professors mad, and will get us into loads of trouble?" Ron asked. Hermione glared at him, and Ginny couldn't help but chuckle.

Remus decided to step in before an argument started. "I suggest we hurry. Tell me what needs to be packed, and I'll do it with my wand. It'll be much faster. And if you don't mind, I'll take Harry up on his invitation." He decided that he only lived once, and how else was he going to see Harry more?

The next few minutes, Remus didn't get much of a chance to rest his wand. While he was taking care of one teen's belongings, the other two were racing around, making sure they had everything together. As soon as he finished with the teens, he raced to get his own trunk packed. All of the trunks were shrunk, and put in their owners' pockets.

As they were all ready to go downstairs, Hedwig hooted, drawing their attention to the letter. Remus smiled sheepishly, and incinerated it with his wand, making sure to scatter the ashes around, to make sure it couldn't be brought back by magic. Some of the ashes even went out the window, scattering to the winds.

Satisfied that the wizards and witches were ready, Hedwig flew out of the room, followed by the three teens and former Professor. Hedwig almost wished she had a mouth to smile, as she heard her master a few floors below.

A few seconds later, the small group was greeted by shouts of an argument.

"…Do what I darn well please!" Came from the easily recognizable voice of Harry.

* * *

The Order was getting nowhere in their reasonable (to their eyes) reasons why Harry should stay at Headquarters. Foremost on the top of their list of "Top Ten Reasons why Harry needs to stay at Headquarters" was that Harry couldn't protect himself. Of course, they did seem to have a memory block of Harry's rather successful hiding place, and disappearance. They were currently trying to make Harry see that security was a big issue. They weren't succeeding.

"I got away from all of you, and managed to evade detection for a few weeks, and the only reason I'm standing here was because I chose to visit here. I can protect myself, and I proved that by hiding some place that no one except myself can get into, and I managed to slip out from under your watch, and stay hidden for over two weeks. You will not keep me here, and I will do what I darn well please!" Harry said angrily, keeping his wand ahead of him.

Dumbledore was standing at this point. "You are not safe, Harry. Here at Headquarters we will be able to protect you better."

Harry snorted in derision. "Like hell I'm not. If you are supposedly so good at protection, then how did I escape so easily?" he shot at them. He did try to play nice, but they weren't, so he wasn't.

A brief pause ensued, as every person present looked shocked at Harry's tone. Snape hid his emotions, and settled back to enjoy the show. Potter's potion had impressed the Potions Master, and if the brat was able to annoy Dumbledore that much, the Professor decided that Potter couldn't be all that bad. It was such a refreshing change to see Dumbledore annoyed, rather than the Headmaster annoying the Potions Professor.

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "Watch your language, Harry!"

"I want to be treated like an adult, but that's probably not going to happen either, is it?" Harry retorted. "With all due respect, if you will not treat me like an adult, then I will do the same to you."

"You are not an adult, Harry! Don't speak to us like that!" Mrs. Weasley radiated fury.

Harry restrained his snarl, reminding himself that the Weasleys were like a second family to him, and he didn't want to yell at the one motherly figure he had. "Again, with all due respect, Mrs. Weasley, I've seen more than anyone my age should've, more than anyone in this room has, save for perhaps Dumbledore. I've seen Voldemort rise again," Shivers ran through the crowd at the name, "I've been tortured by him, fought with him, had him in my mind, and have survived all five times I've encountered him. I've survived all three Unforgivables, a feat that has yet to be beat, if I'm not mistaken. I've driven away over a hundred Dementors, and watched a friend of mine, as well as my Godfather, die in front of my eyes. I'm underage, yes, but I'm not a child. I've never been a child, so stop treating me like one."

His words hung in the air, as he tried to calm his fury and memories that raged through him at the remembering of all the times he escaped Voldemort. The Order members seemed too stunned to speak at Harry's words.

Harry looked at the door leading into the house. "You guys can come in now." He said calmly.

The door flew open, and the girls immediately hugged him, sniffling. They had heard every word of Harry's tirade, and couldn't help the tears at the thought of all Harry had faced. Remus and Ron went to stand right behind Harry, in a silent show of support.

Harry gently disengaged the girls from his side. "Now, if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now."

That got Mrs. Weasley stirred up again. "What do you mean by that?" Harry winced as she positively screeched.

"I mean, we'll be leaving now. Since I cannot trust you to keep me safe, I see no reason to put my friends in danger by letting them stay here." Harry stared defiantly at the Weasley matriarch.

Dumbledore frowned, and was about to speak, but Harry beat him to it. "Yes, I know they're underage, yada yada, and all that stuff. They've agreed to come with me. You can't stop us, Dumbledore, so don't even try!"

"That is where you are wrong, Harry." The old wizard cast a strong Stunning spell out of seemingly nowhere.

Harry had to grant that the Headmaster was quick, but not fast enough. He had seen the wizard stealthily drawing his wand, and had taken some precautions. The spell hit the shield right in front of Harry's face. "No, I believe I'm quite right. You're fast, Headmaster, but I'm faster." Harry smiled pleasantly, as he revealed the wand in his hand. He'd drawn it when he was getting out of Hermione and Ginny's hug, and had set the shield up with a wave of his wand.

Dumbledore looked flabbergasted, and Harry's smile grew. "Really Headmaster, that was quite rude. Now, I believe our ride is coming. Good-bye to all of you, I had a really nice chat!" he said with a false smile and a ton of sarcasm.

Harry watched with satisfaction as Fawkes entered from behind Dumbledore, managing to scratch the Headmaster's head before the old wizard could duck. "_Fawkes, aren't you his Phoenix?_" he sent the Phoenix, a bit surprised.

The Phoenix mentally grumbled. "_I'll explain later. Tell your friends to make sure they have a hold of my tail._"

"Guys, grab hold of Fawkes's tail. If you want to say your good byes, you might want to do so now, as you won't see a lot of them until the start of next term."

The group grabbed the Phoenix's tail, and decided to not bother with good-byes; all of the Order looked furious.

Fawkes transported them all in a ball of flame, and the Order stared at the spot where they had been.

* * *

"Oh, we are in so much trouble!" Hermione moaned as soon as they appeared.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, we are! Isn't it great?" Hermione only moaned again, muttering something about how they were all going to get detentions for the rest of the next school year for this.

"Actually, Professor Lupin isn't a student, so he won't be getting any detentions," Ginny pointed out mischievously. Ron sniggered as Hermione looked as if she was going to bang her head against the nearest wall.

Remus sighed. "How many times must I tell you that I'm not your Professor any more?"

Harry grinned, and declined to comment. "Everyone have their stuff? I need to show you all your sleeping arrangements."

He looked at the partition, and thought of something else. He frowned, and directed his wand to the area, and suddenly, walls grew around the partition. His frown disappeared, and he nodded cheerfully at his guests, who had turned from their observation of the Chamber.

He led them toward the new boxed-in area. As the guests got closer, they realized that it was actually two boxed areas, one larger than the other, with a shared wall between. He opened a door to the smaller area, and gestured them all inside.

"This room is for the girls. If you want, I could make them separate rooms, but I thought that you'd like to talk to each other at night, and stuff like that." Harry explained, suddenly very nervous that they'd not like what he'd done.

His nervousness abated when Ginny squealed, and jumped on the nearest bed. "This is so soft! Harry, where'd you get these beds?"

Harry ran his hand through his hair, relieved. "I, uh, kind of transfigured them. They're not that bad, are they?"

Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at him incredulously. Harry felt nervous again, and his hand went through his hair again. "What?"

"That's… amazing, Harry! You transfigured all of this?" Ginny gestured with her hand.

Harry gave them a weak smile. "Uh… yeah? Really, it wasn't that hard…"

"Wasn't that hard? Harry, what you've done is amazing! I mean, transfiguring this much is…" Remus struggled to find the words. "Amazing. What did you use to do the transfigurations?"

"Well, the bed that Ginny's on was a pebble. Actually, come to think of it, I used a lot of pebbles." Harry grinned as he thought of what happened earlier. He had even climbed up on the walls, and searched all over the place for pieces of rock to use for the bedrooms.

"You're not serious?" Hermione said, and dropped down beside Ginny on the bed. "This is soft," she observed as she felt the mattress. "This must have taken a lot of time to do!"

Harry decided not to tell her that it really hadn't. Instead, Hermione stared off into space, and began to wonder out loud. "I mean, to be able to change a thing's nature so radically! To make a hard piece of small rock into a big, soft bed must have taken a lot of time!"

Harry coughed, uneasy. "Right. Um, would you like to see the guys' side?"

The girls jumped from the bed, and followed Harry out and to the next door. There were three beds in here, and looked exactly the same as the girls', except for the one on the far right. This one had emerald green covers, instead of the usual white. On the table beside the head of the bed, a few books lay beside a lamp, and at the foot was Harry's trunk.

"Um, as you can see, that's my bed. Moony, Ron, if you want to switch the beds around, or have separate rooms, just let me know, and I'll see what I can do. Oh, and all the mirrors don't talk. I still haven't figured out how they manage to do it." Harry mused.

Ron took a diving leap onto the middle bed. "Wow, you girls weren't kidding! These beds are soft!"

Hermione frowned as she watched Harry laugh, and started telling them all that if they wanted to change their cover colors, he would do it for them. She looked around the guys' room, still sensing something wasn't adding up, trying to look for clarification. Then, it hit her.

"Harry, how did you know Remus was coming? You couldn't possibly have done all this in such a short time! It wasn't more than an hour after we were dropped off and you came…"

"_You should probably tell them, Harry. Not about your shifter abilities, but about the Beast Council. They'll find out anyway, and it's best if you start off now._" Harry looked at Fawkes, and nodded. He hoped his friends would accept what he was about to tell them.

Harry sighed, as all his friends started. "Hermione, guys, all of you might want to sit down. I have some things to tell you about what's happened so far this summer." He went to sit down in his bed, and his friends spread out, sitting on the other beds and his, making sure that he could see them all. "You see, it all started about two weeks ago when I woke up…" He began.

Harry told his audience about what happened in the Death Eater attack, and how he could suddenly hear Hedwig. How he decided that he wanted to live his own life, and escaped. How he managed to get the Ministry spells off his wand (h didn't tell them who took them off), and came to the Chamber of Secrets so that he couldn't be found. How he discovered that the Beast Council, lead by Fawkes, had done some type of transfer, giving him different abilities, and a boost of power. How he was a Shadow Wolf, and what that meant. "…And that's how I managed to complete the Animagus transformation so quickly, and how I was able to do this much transfiguration in so little time."

The soon-to-be Marauders were in various states of shock, and Moony didn't know what to say. Harry gave them a weak smile. "So, uh, yeah, that's pretty much it."

* * *

After they got over the shock, his friends peppered him with questions. Harry managed to evade the more serious ones. They laughed when Harry told him the real reason behind the "owl epidemic," and teasingly asked to see what got it started. Harry obliged, and showed them his adorable "puppy dog eyes" face.

"Oh, and Ron, you'll be pleased to know that Aragog sends his regards. He says that me and my friends are safe." Harry grinned at the redhead, who paled.

"Thanks, Harry, but, uh, I'd rather not test that," Ron stuttered. Ginny and Hermione laughed, knowing how Ron hated spiders. Moony smiled.

Harry turned a bit serious. "Okay, joking aside, I need to tell you how all of this is going to work. I trust all of you, but guys and girls won't go into the others' area, unless the door is opened, or Moony is with us. Sorry Moony, but you're going to be our chaperone." Moony nodded, and Harry continued. "Unless I'm with you, we'll only be staying in the main chamber, so no exploring. There are probably areas that I still haven't found yet, that could be dangerous without a parselmouth. As I'm the only one around, I have to be with you if you want to go exploring."

The teens nodded. Harry smiled at them. "Another thing. Ron, as much as I know you're going to hate this, we'll have to make sure that we all keep up with our studies. I have plenty of materials here, and can always ask Fawkes to transport me to Diagon Alley if we need more. I've already done all of my homework, so I can help you, and Moony could as well, if you ask nicely. If any of you want to write your parents, Hedwig is here, and I can ask some other owls to come if you need them."

Ginny raised her hand, and Harry smiled. "Yes, Ms. Weasley?" The youngest Weasley giggled. "Mr. Potter, what are we going to do about showers and meals and the like?"

Harry frowned. "The meals are already taken care of. About the showers, I forgot about those, but I'll figure something out."

"How could you forget showers? Where did you get clean?" Ron asked.

"I've, uh, used the school's bathrooms to do all that stuff. Let me work this out, while you guys eat. Dinner should be on the table by now." Harry checked his watch.

Ron looked out the door, and was amazed to see a meal appear on the table. "How did that get there?"

Harry grinned. "Some of the house-elves stayed over the summer. I asked them nicely if they could prepare a bit of food for all of us over the summer. They were happy to do it, and Dobby delivers the food down here."

Hermione frowned. "Harry…"

Harry held up his hands to stop what she was about to say. "Yes, Hermione, I know. But really, it was the only way to make sure we were all fed."

Hermione sighed, and Ron grinned at her. "Don't worry, Hermione. Really, Harry saved our lives! Can any of us actually cook?"

"Good point. We'll talk about this later, Harry." Hermione glared at the black-haired teen.

With laughter, Harry's guests went to sit down and eat, while Harry went to figure out how in the world he would install showers and the like.

* * *

An hour later, he approached the table, exhausted. Moony and the others had finished by now, and were talking about the new arrangement. They watched as Harry collapsed at the remaining chair, and started wolfing down what food remained.

"Are you hungry, Harry?" Ginny asked, amused. Harry swallowed what he had in his mouth, bared his teeth, and growled at her. She giggled, and the others wore smiles on their faces. Moony wondered if any of them knew what Harry had just said in wolf language. It wasn't really nice, to say the least.

Harry finished eating, pausing only to glare and growl at those who teased him. Moony winced at the last growl; it was really lucky that the recipients of that couldn't understand what Harry had just said. The werewolf grinned as Harry looked at him, an amused glint in his eyes. Oh yes, Harry knew exactly what he was saying.

"Well, I fixed the bloody problem." Harry said as he leaned back, his stomach sated. "You now have your bloody showers and some bloody bath tubs, and even some bloody sinks."

"Watch your language, Harry!" Hermione frowned at him. Harry bared his teeth at her, and Moony chuckled at the human equivalent of saying, "Bite me."

"Hermione, I don't think Harry's in a good mood right now." Ginny stated the obvious.

Harry grunted, sipping at some pumpkin juice. The transfiguring wasn't that hard. It was figuring a way to get water to the bathrooms that confused and exasperated him. He'd had to make new pipes, attach them to previously existing ones, and get them all the way through the castle to the Chamber. Then he'd had to work out how to make sure that when someone turned the hot water handle, they got hot water, and the same with the cold water. Harry had just had to add some extras, and he was exhausted.

The work was worth it, though. Each of the residents had their own shower stall and sink. Both rooms had one big tub, which looked and functioned the same as the Prefect tub that Harry had encountered in fourth year. Harry figured that if they really wanted a bath, they could have one, and that wouldn't happen all the time, so there was no need for individual tubs. Besides, if he'd done any more plumbing, he was sure he would've gone insane.

"I suggest that all of you start unpacking, claim your beds, and all. If you need me, I'll be here, setting up a type of Common Room for all of us," Harry said, when he felt more civil.

Moony was dragged away to un-shrink trunks by the girls and Ron, leaving Harry to finish his goblet, and start looking for a nice place for a Common Room.

* * *

Well, there it is! I hope you like! Once again, I'd like to thank my mom, for beta'ing this chapter. Oh, and Spellcheck for the past chapters. ;-)

Review Response time!It's a slightly new format, but not that much different. Thanks to all those that reviewed!

Thanks to:

**the momster **(thanks mom, nice sn! ;-) )**, Post-Scriptum** (Fawkes only yelled at Albus for abandoning Harry. Albus tried to make amends by trying to spend some quality time with Harry... He didn't really get the point... ;-D )**, HeWhoComesWithTheDawn** (o-- for answering)**, Debbie** (none correct, sorry)**, Bloodless Ace** (:-D)**, jkarr** (don't tempt me ;-) )**, Treck** (lol, no to all the above. o-- for #4)**, insanechildfanfic **(w00t)**, PsychicLunar** (lol, yes, I like lollipops)**, athenakitty** (As you can see, "a bit peeved" was an understatement. None correct, sorry)**, lmill123** (did you like that?)**, Wytil** (see previous comment)**, lone wolf blade** (see previous previouscomment)**, DigiBonds, CastusAlbusCor** (;-) cliffies are kinda fun!)**, HarrySlytherinson, TiaraShin, unknown** (o--)**, mewer44444, Bukama Stealth** (Yes. Yes I am.)**, shdurrani** (If Fawkes hurt Dumbledore any more, he'd have to heal the old bugger)**, FireElemental** (thanks for the support)**, wolf** (I'll consider your comments)**, Ferdia** (I don't think I live in a shoe ;-) )**, NamelessHeretic** (I plead the fifth)**, Cornflake** (Erm, o-- for answering, but I'm not sure if that's right...)**, Shadowed Rains** (;-D)**, george, Wren, Windy River, Dragnedge** (Which Ramen Pride member are you? Sorry, forgot who all I told about my story. No names correct, sorry)**, jenstarfire **(oo, so close on one name. No lolly for it, though. o-- for #4)**, Gangster-Potter, Jaypallas** (I'll work on it)**, vimrods **(o-- for answering)**, Behind Crimson Eyes **(o-- for #4)**, Lina Thanatos, cherrity, Catnip070 **(o-- for #4. I'll probably cycle through a bunch of formats for responses...)**, Tmctflyboy, Rachel Sedai** (they are going to shorten it, here's a lolly for something I'm going to use! o--, and another for #4 o--)**, xkristy101** (o-- for #4)**, Sky year** (you'll see)**, DaughterofDeath, bandgsecurtiyaw, rocky **(o-- for answering, and ask mom! I already have names picked out)**, webb, Cynthia1850** (ouch)**, jabarber69, HecateDeMort, Linn-LovesPiperLeo, jenstarfire** (later on, yes)**, CWR, tori, HermioneGreen** (WB?)**, Frisky Muffin** (interesting sn)

Well, there it is! I'll probably be cycling through some diff. formats, so be patient. In your review, if you suggest something, and I'll use it, I'll give lollies.

A&Q time!

Answers: NEXT CHAPTER! you'll find out then.

Questions:  
1) You already know the questions from previous chapter(s) Last chance to guess

I can't really think of anymore questions. I'll try to make the next chapter longer, due to popular demand.

Until next update!


	15. What's in a Name?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The chapter title comes from a line inShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, just so you know.

(A/N: Sorry this is so late! There were a few problems in communications with my beta (my mom), so that delayed it. Then I was out most of the day today, and then I had problems putting this up. But here it is!)

>text> is animal-speak

Chapter 14: What's in a Name?

"Are all of you ready?"

Eager nods greeted Harry, who sighed. It had been three weeks since Harry had "kidnapped" his friends, and they had all been waiting for this moment.

"All right. You may start. I'll be in form, just in case anything goes wrong," Harry told them. When their eyes dropped shut, Harry signaled to Moony, who moved quickly for the boys' room. Harry shifted into his wolf form, and waited.

Hermione was the first one to change. Her body shrank, sprouted fur, and grew claws. In a minute, where she once sat, was a brown kneazle, with tan spots all over. The cat-like creature's eyes opened, and Harry saw Hermione's brown eyes looking at him. >Harry? Did it work?>

Harry wagged his tail. >Yes, it did,> he replied. He blinked, a bit surprised. How had he understood her, and replied in the same language? Ron's and Ginny's bodies shaking and shrinking diverted his attention.

A fox the same color as Ron's hair stood on four legs, a bit wobbly. >Harry? Wow, I did it!> the fox said, and Harry detected less of an accent than Hermione's in Ron's talk. He figured that Hermione's had a strongeraccent because Ron's fox form was closer to the canine family than a kneazle.

>Well, Mr. Wolf, how are you?> Harry whipped around to see a creature he had never seen before. Ginny's Animagus form looked like a cross between a fox and a wolf, and some species that Harry could only assume was a jackal. Her fur was a vibrant red that reminded Harry of a fire.

>Ginny?> Harry asked incredulously. The jackal flicked her tail at him, and started circling him.

>Ginny… I seem to recall that name from somewhere…> the jackal mused.

It was then that Harry knew that Ginny was lost in her form. >Ginny, I know you're in there. Listen to me carefully. Concentrate on asserting control over your form. Fight the animal within, and tame it.>

The jackal bared her teeth. >What on earth are you… Harry, help!> Harry knew that Ginny was fighting back by the change of tone in the jackal, from confused to frightened.

>Ginny, you have to show your form that you are in control! Ron, tackle her so that she can concentrate on her mind battle instead of her form running around> Harry snapped the order.

The fox obeyed, and leapt at the slightly bigger animal with a speed that astonished the watchers. In a few seconds, the jackal was down on the ground, pinned by the fox. Harry continued the encouragement, and Hermione joined in.

After a few minutes with the jackal still struggling, and no sign of progress, Harry let his own animal instincts take over. He stepped up to the squirming jackal, and nudged Ron away with his muzzle. The fox backed off, and the jackal immediately stood, ready to fight.

With one look at Harry, however, the jackal stopped, and her tail and ears lowered. She recognized the alpha stance in Harry's posture. Cringing slightly, the jackal poked her snout under Harry's muzzle. They both knew that the gesture meant the jackal surrendered. >Before I go, Alpha, I wish you to know that you would've made a fine mate>

Harry bared his teeth. The jackal sighed, and at once, her posture relaxed, and Harry could see an almost human light come into her eyes. >Harry? I'm sorry, I couldn't control…> Ginny would've burst into tears if her form could have shed tears.

Harry relaxed. >It's okay, Ginny. Just relax, and look around> Ginny took his advice, and lay down, trying to regain control. Harry wagged his tail, and went to check on Ron and Hermione, who had drifted away once Ginny gained control of her form.

He looked on, in disbelief, as the fox wrestled with the slightly smaller kneazle. >Come on, Hermione, surrender! I've got you beat!> the fox exclaimed, as he put his snout against the kneazle's neck.

In reply, Hermione somehow flipped the fox off of her, and stood up, snarling. >What were you saying, Ron?>

>Children, children, what are you doing?> Harry asked teasingly, as he stepped in between the two. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then at Harry. Their eyes sparkling, they pounced on the wolf

Ginny watched them, internally laughing. Harry was only slightly losing, only due to the fact that he was outnumbered. She fought an inner battle, and lost.

Harry was laughing wolfishly; his mouth open and tongue hanging out. He managed to break free from both his attackers, and faced them. Ron was panting; he'd had to move quickly in order to keep Harry down, and avoid the wolf's attack. Hermione was low to the floor, hissing at Harry in mock anger. Normally she would never do this, but the feline in her was feeling playful, and Hermione decided to give in.

A slight noise made them all turn, just in time for a flaming blur to enter their vision and tackle the brown kneazle. Harry took the opportunity to do the same to Ron, who immediately surrendered. >Was that Ginny?> the fox asked incredulously, as he tried to find his sister.

Harry's tail wagged. >It appears so, Ron. Look over there, by the statue>

Ron looked vaguely around at the two-dozen statues still standing in the Chamber. >Oh, that helps a lot Harry, thanks.>

The wolf chuckled, making short little barking noises. He pointed with his muzzle, and the fox looked in that direction. Sure enough, Ginny was wrestling with Hermione, and winning. The kneazle surrendered, and the jackal gave a little howl of victory.

Harry trotted over to them. >What happened to relaxing, Ginny?>

The jackal grinned at him.> It went out the window. That was fun! Hermione, sorry about that.> She turned toward the kneazle, who was purring.

>No problem, that was fun!> Hermione said.

Ron came over. >I agree. We'll have to do that again sometime. Harry, when do we get our names?> Ron asked.

In answer, Harry went to the door that led to the boys' room, and barked slightly. The fox and jackal looked at each other, and grinned. Then they told their feline friend what Harry had said in wolf-language. It wasn't exactly complimentary.

Moony came out, and glared at the wolf, which looked up innocently at him. "Shadowfang, inside. You three stay out here. We have to agree on your names." When none of the others made a move, Harry wagged his tail at them, and went inside. Moony closed the door behind the wolf.

* * *

"Was that really necessary to say, Shadowfang?" Moony asked the wolf, who shifted back into human form. 

"It was funny," Harry shrugged. Moony glared at him. Harry just grinned back. Moony sighed.

"We'll talk about your language later. What should their names be?" Moony asked him, still slightly glaring.

Harry ignored the glare, and thought about it. "Well, first of all, I don't want the names to end in –foot or –tail. I think those are too close to the original Marauder names."

Moony growled. "Definitely not anything ending in –tail. Now that that's settled, what are the names going to be?"

"Hmm…. Let's get Ron's first. He was really fast, so something like… 'Swiftpaw'?"

"Swiftpaw, eh?" Moony asked, rolling the name off of his tongue. "That will do. What about Hermione and Ginny?"

Harry grinned at him. "How about 'Firefur' for Ginny? The name explains it all, I believe."

Moony smiled. "Two down, one to go. What about Hermione?"

"I'm not really sure," Harry admitted. "She's tough. The only feature that really stands out on her is her spotted fur…"

Moony leaned back, thinking. "And I don't think that 'Spots' would fit her…"

Harry shook his head. "No, it wouldn't. Hmm… Oh, I know! What do you think about 'Dots' for Hermione?"

"That's perfect!" Moony exclaimed. "So, the new Marauders are Shadowfang, Swiftpaw, Firefur and Dots?"

Harry's eyes sparkled. "That sounds about right"

* * *

Ron looked up as Moony and Harry came out of the room. >So, what are our names?> Ron asked. Then he growled as the kneazle hit his head with her paw. >What was that for?> 

The kneazle rolled her eyes. >Honestly Ron, you have no sense of subtlety at all. You should have asked like this…>

She sauntered over to Moony and Harry, and wrapped around their legs purring. >Shadowfang, Moony, how nice to see you! How did your deliberations go?>

Moony and Harry couldn't help laughing. "Very nice, Dots. Swiftpaw, you might want to take lessons." Harry reached down to pet Hermione.

Hermione purred. >Ah, that feels… Dots? I'm Dots?> She said, in shock. Her head turned, as she regarded the honey-colored spots on her fur. Hermione nodded in approval. >I guess it fits,> Hermione, or rather Dots, said.

Ron blinked. >Uh, that means I'm Swiftpaw, right?> he asked, a bit clueless. The jackal next to him suddenly flipped him over on his back, and held his paw captive. >Hmm… well, he was fast earlier. So, I guess it's okay. What's my name?> Ginny asked, still examining Ron's paw. Ron struggled to break free, but Ginny held fast.

"You're Firefur, for obvious reasons." Ginny looked at her fur, and nodded. She let go of Ron's paw as her started to twist, causing him to roll unplanned. The newly named Swiftpaw glared at his sister, who ignored him in return. The other Marauders were careful not to laugh or smile. Ron huffed in annoyance, and then gave it up.

>Thanks, Shadowfang. You know your name is too long, right? I'm going to start calling you Shade,> Ginny stated.

Ron and Hermione agreed. >Is that okay with you, Harry? Shadowfang will still be your official name, but it's too long for everyday conversation,> Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. "Shade's fine. Right now, I believe it's time for Study Hall. All of you need to shift back into human form."

The animals looked at each other. >How do we do that?> Ron asked.

Harry slapped his forehead with his hand. "Oh, did I forget to tell you that? It's really easy. Just think of becoming human once more, concentrate on your life, stuff like that."

Hermione was the first one to become human once again, followed by Ginny and then Ron. They looked around, as if seeing the Chamber for the first time.

"A bit confused, much?" Harry chuckled. Their heads swiveled to look at him, and they blinked. "Let me explain. Now that you've become an animal, and had another mind with you, your two minds havemerged. After the first time, you'll notice a few changes in your lives. In your animal form, you keep your human mind, and still know human speech, but still have the form with you. You can't speak like a human, but you can still understand what a human says if you know that language. In your human form, you retain a bit of knowledge about your animal's language, as well as retain a bit of your animal senses. Am I incorrect in assuming that you now see better, have an enhanced sense of smell, and more sensitive hearing?"

All of them shook their heads. "No, you're correct. Is that why you could understand us while you were a human, and we were animals?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes. Hermione, I think you'll understand what cats are saying. I'm still trying to figure out how you understood what us canines were saying."

Hermione looked at Ron, then Ginny, then back to Harry. "Maybe it's because I knew them personally before transforming. That link between us would've made it easier to understand, and because I was a magical creature, it helped me figure out what all of you were saying."

"That might be it," Harry said thoughtfully. "I'd have to look it up, but that sounds like it might be right. I'll do that during Study Hall."

"Which is now," Moony stepped in, now used to his role as chaperone and teacher. "All of you have ten minutes to get your stuff and go to the Common Room."

With good-natured grumbling, the teens went to their rooms to get their books and other assorted stuff for Study Hall.

* * *

Study Hall was an idea that Harry had taken from the muggles, and used it as a solution to a problem. Ron didn't like the idea that during his stay, he had to actually complete his homework. In his past years, he stayed up the night before classes to do that. To him, it worked well, and as he told Harry and Moony, if it wasn't broken, why cast a Reparo on it? 

So, Harry came up with the idea of Study Hall. It was one hour in every day where all of them went to the Common Room to work on their homework, do research, or other various quiet things. Ron reluctantly agreed, upon hearing that he wouldn't be forced to study, and used the time to draw up various Quidditch strategies, and read some books on the game. Before the transformation, however, Ron read every book he could on his Animagus form, the red fox. Harry had warned him that if he didn't he would probably lose his mind at the first transformation, or worse things.

Moony, during Study Hall, sat in his favorite chair, reading a book or the newspaper (Hermione's _Daily Prophet_ subscription was still active, and the owls delivered it with Harry's permission). Occasionally he looked up to see if the teens were working quietly. Whispers were allowed, as long as they stuck to work-related subjects. He enjoyed his role as chaperone during Study Hall, the one time that the teens were mostly quiet.

The Common Room that Harry had created was particularly comfortable, and the preferred location for Study Hall. Each of the residents had a couch and a recliner in their choice of color, due to the fact that an argument had sprung up over Harry's original choice. Ron, in particular, was opposed to the emerald green and silver of the Common Room before Harry changed it. He didn't like the Slytherin colors, even though they were in the chamber that Salazar Slytherin built.

Ron chose red, of course. Hermione decided on gold, and Ginny on a midnight blue. Harry stuck with a green that matched his eyes, and Moony smiled as he requested dark silver. The carpet beneath the wooden tables, couches, and other furniture items was a neutral black. Even with the various colors, the Common Room looked good, and was comfortable.

Moony looked up from his chair, and smiled. Harry was quietly explaining to Ginny how different ingredients in a potion affected the density and other physical and magical properties. Ginny was listening attentively, taking notes so that she could do a good job on her Potions essay later on. Hermione, as usual, had her nose deep in a book on Arithmancy. Ron, still refusing to do his homework, was concentrating his attention on a piece of paper in front of him, most likely some new Quidditch play. The werewolf shook his head, and returned to his book on magical creatures.

On the occasion that, during Study Hall, one of the students wanted to make a potion, there was an area away from the Common Room that had several cauldrons set up, and a cabinet full of some of the basic potions ingredients. Harry still hadn't shown them his personal potions cabinet, full of the more, for the lack of a better word, illegal potions. Also in the cabinet were the dangerous ingredients that might be needed for a potion, including his charmed and warded box of what was left of the basilisk that had once inhabited the Chamber. If one of his guests needed an ingredient that he had in his personal cabinet, Harry would retrieve it in private. No one had asked where the ingredients were, due to the fact that they were grateful to have the ingredient. Besides, the items Harry gave them were extremely hard to get and expensive, so they figured that Harry put them someplace safe, in order to prevent misuse.

Harry was an unofficial tutor to Ginny, as she had the same classes that Harry had last year. With the studying that he'd done before the rest arrived in the Chamber, Harry's knowledge of various subjects was good enough so that he could explain the concepts Ginny was struggling with.

Harry, in turn, either turned to Hermione or Moony for help when he needed it. Hermione also asked Moony for help when she absolutely had to. Ron didn't do any homework, so didn't ask anyone for help. When he finally wised up, it was almost a given that he would ask Hermione for help.

"So mixing a warm-blooded animal's blood with a cold-blooded animal's…" Ginny trailed off, looking at Harry in confusion.

"Is an invitation to an explosion, unless a stabilizing ingredient is stirred in clock-wise," Harry finished. "Unless a stabilizing ingredient is stirred in between the two bloods' addition, stirred in clockwise." He looked at Ginny, his eyes asking if she knew what types of ingredients to add.

Ginny brightened. "Like powdered moonstone!"

Harry beamed at her. "Very good, Ginny!"

"I think I have it now, Harry, thanks" The redhead smiled shyly. Harry smiled back, and with a nod of his head, went to his own chair. Ginny started on her essay, looking at her notes occasionally, marveling on how easy Harry made Potions seem.

Harry opened a book on how spells were made. He had already read most of his books, and finished his homework, and was bored with what he was going over. Tutoring Ginny relieved his boredom temporarily, but that only lasted for the first twenty minutes of Study Hall. So, he asked Hermione for a good book. Hermione had given him the spellbook, thrilled that Harry wanted it, and telling him that the book was easy, all he had to do was read.

The book fascinated Harry. It explained how different elements were in magic itself. Those elements performed different functions, and when placed in a certain way with an incantation, were classified as a spell. It wasn't completely clear, but as Harry understood it, the spoken incantation helped the elements act in the way they were supposed to, but weren't necessary if the caster knew how the elements fitted together.

Or something like that, Harry mused. As he read the chapters and looked at some of the diagrammed spells, he grinned. He was determined to learn all this, so that he could complete a plan that was hatching in his head.

* * *

Well, there it is! The Marauder names are finally revealed! I know that not much happened here, but... let's just say I had a lot on my mind during the writing of this chapter. 

For all those that want longer chapters: I'm working on it. I'm trying to get a nice size that I can continue to write at without becoming bored as I write. Right now I'm writing about five pages for each chapter, and I'll try to up that. For those that wanted to know what Harry said in wolf language (and did say in this chapter): Use your imaginations. I'd rather not say exactly what he said (my mom might take offense...), so I'll just leave that to your imaginations. For those who guessed Swiftfoot for Ron's name: I'd love to give you a lolly, as you were so close, but I don't think it would be fair to the others... Congrats on getting close, but as I explained in the story, I didn't want the names to be that close to the original Marauders' names.

Okay, another new format for responding to reviews! Tell me what you think of it, please!

These reviewers get a lollipop(s). **Froboy (o--, o--)**, **Kyle Broflovski (o--)** for their (albeit late) answer to ch 8 question

These reviewers were just plainhyper ( ;-) )**: PsychicLunar,elil eloin, Cynthia1850**

And these reviewers' reviewsbids me to answer them personally.

**ambiance15**: You didn't really read what I said carefully, did you? I was going to put my e-mail up so that I could personally respond to the reviews, but I wasn't sure. I'm not a moron, but you are. If you can tell me where in the rules it forbids putting your email up, or responding to reviews at the end of a chapter? My dad and I looked in the TOS, and nothing was there about any specific way to answer reviews. I know very well what word count is, and personally, I don't give a flip about it. I'd personally like for people to read my fic because they like it, not because it's big. So, all in all, your brain is the size of a peanut, and you need to piss off if you can't act mature about reviewing. How old are you, five? (no offense to any five years old out there... if you're reading this, I'm amazed that you're smarter than this idiot here)

**Red Death:** Because you acted mature, I'll be nice about it. If you would please tell me where in the TOS or on the site where FFNet specifically mentions replying to reviews? Like I said above, my dad and I looked all over the site, and we couldn't find anything on it.

I loved all of your reviews, and I'm sorry I couldn't answer each one of them, but there's not enough room. Thank you all! (thanks to **Nights Silhouette** for the helpful suggestion (o-- for you) ) I'm really glad that you're liking my story!

Yay, A&Q time!

Answers: Ron is Swiftpaw, Hermione is Dots, and Ginny is Firefur.

Questions (yay, new ones! I can just hear all of you saying "Finally!" ;-) )  
1) What is Harry's plan? (Happy guessing!)  
2)How long do you think it will take Ron to start doing his homework? (just guess..)  
3)**Poll**: Should Neville and Luna become Marauders? If so, what will their forms and names be? You now know the guidelines for the names, so have fun. If I actually use your suggestion(s), you get extra lollies.

There you go! Until next update!


	16. OWLs and owls

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(A/N: Here it is, finally! I"m extremely sorry, but as I'm sure you want the chapter more than my babbling, I'll save everything for my AN at the end of the chapter! Happy reading!)

Chapter 15: OWLs and owls

"_Harry, there are four owls requesting permission to deliver letters._" Harry looked up at Hedwig from the notes he was taking. Study Hall had just begun, and Harry was researching to make sure his plan worked.

"_Ask them if any of the letters had any spells cast upon them, or the owls themselves, please._" Harry replied, absently rubbing the quill he was holding against his cheek. It was a week after all of them had transformed, and almost six days until his sixteenth birthday.

Hedwig transmitted the message, and told Harry the reply. "_The owls assure me that there were no spells placed on the letters or themselves._"

Harry grinned at her, and nodded his head. After a few minutes, four owls came flying into the chamber from who knows where (Harry had yet to figure out how they were getting in), drawing the attention of the other four individuals in the Common Room.

The owls dropped their letters right in front of each teen, and flew to join Hedwig for a short visit. "_Thank you all. We appreciate it._" Harry sent to the owls, while looking at his letter thoughtfully. He received various acknowledgments from the owls, who after replying, started to talk to Hedwig.

"Ah, I believe that you've gotten your OWL results," Moony commented, looking with interest over the top of his book. The reactions that followed amused the werewolf: Hermione started hyperventilating, Ron looked at the letter as if it were a spider, and Harry stared mournfully at his. Ginny, a year younger than the other three, smirked at the fear on Ron's face.

"You guys knew it was coming. C'mon, hurry and open them up! I want to see who's going to tutor me in what!" Ginny grinned at them.

Harry was the first to open his OWL scores; Hermione was still hyperventilating, and Ron was poking at the letter with his quill. His eyes quickly scanned over the introduction, and feasted on his OWL scores. Reading them, he grinned. "In your face, Snape!" He said, tossing the letter at Moony, and jumping up and down.

The werewolf broke out in a smile as he read the scores.

_Astronomy: Acceptable (see first note below)_

_Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding_

_Charms: Exceeds Expectations_

_Divinations: Dreadful_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding + (see second note below)_

_History of Magic: Acceptable (see third note below)_

_Herbology: Exceeds Expectations_

_Potions: Outstanding_

_Transfigurations: Outstanding_

1. Due to disturbance during test, OWL grade has been curved

2. Subject has received record high score, nominated for special award, counts for two OWLs

3. Due to disturbance with student, OWL grade has been curved

_Total OWLs: 9_

Remus smiled broadly. "Good job, Harry."

He raised an eyebrow as he realized that Harry was, in fact, ignoring him, and looking over a hyperventilating Hermione's shoulder. "C'mon, Hermione, we all know that you've probably got the highest scores of our whole class! Just open the letter, and stop worrying!"

When Hermione was still looking at her letter, utterly horrified, Harry snorted, plucked the letter out of his hands, and ripped it open. She looked at Harry fearfully.

Harry's mouth dropped open. "You were worried about these scores? Dots, are you insane?"

Hermione grabbed at the paper, and Harry winked at Remus. "Thirteen OWLs, all of them O's," He mouthed at the werewolf.

Hermione shrieked, and started jumping up and down hugging everyone. "Thirteen O's!" She exclaimed, bouncing around. She didn't notice that after her hug, Ron looked a bit dazed.

Harry took this opportunity to steal Ron's scores from his hand, and read them. When Ron noticed, he looked at Harry as if Aragog had come into the room. He seemed to shrink when Harry shook his head solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry said dolefully. "Hermione beat you. You only have seven OWLs," he continued.

Ron blinked, as Harry laughed and shook his hand, and Hermione hugged him excitedly. "You prat!" The redhead exploded in mock anger, and playfully swatted at Harry. "You had me worried!"

Harry grinned at them all. "Study Hall is officially cancelled! Let's party!"

Cheers from all of teenagers greeted this announcement, and Remus grinned. "As long as Harry has plenty of Hangover Potion ready, that's fine with me!"

At that, the teens looked at him with jaws open wide in surprise. "Are you serious?" Ron looked as if Christmas had come early. "Harry, please say that you have some Hangover Potion in this place," Ron begged.

Harry fought a smirk. "What, you thought that I wouldn't?" He replied. Ron whooped, Ginny giggled, Hermione frowned, and Remus had to smile.

* * *

The next morning, Ron was the only one who had to use the Hangover Potion. All of the others didn't drink nearly as much as a happy Ron did. Hermione had flatly refused to participate in the consumption of any alcoholic beverage, and went to her room, so as to ignore those who were. Ginny wanted to, but decided that she'd just wait a year before celebrating OWL results. Harry had tried a shot, decided it wasn't to his taste, and drank Butterbeer instead. Remus, as chaperone, couldn't drink any. 

Ron, however, had no problems or inhibitions drinking down all firewhiskey placed in front of him. Which was why he was currently groaning and holding his head. "Do you have to talk so loud?" He whined at Harry, who was telling Hermione about the different spells he knew.

Ginny, sitting across from Harry and next to Ron, had no pity on him. "YOU'D FEEL A LOT BETTER IF YOU HADN'T DRANK SO MUCH LAST NIGHT!" She yelled, right into his ear.

Ron yelped, and clutched his head as pure agony ran through him. Harry and Hermione laughed, and Ginny grinned at them. Remus just shook his head, amused.

* * *

"_Harry, what are you doing?_" 

The teen looked at his Snowy Owl. "_As much as I like my friends, they're not exactly the best people you want watching your training sessions._" He replied somewhat vaguely.

Hedwig blinked. "_You might be right about that, except for maybe the wolf-man and the fire-female._"

Harry stopped, and looked at the owl curiously. "_Moony and Firefur? Moony, I can understand why you say, but Ginny? What about her?_"

"_She is the one that understands you the best. If all of your nest-mates were to see you training, the book-cat would head for the books, and try to get you to teach her about your skills. She would want that for herself. The lazy-fox would be jealous, and wouldn't understand you. Wolf-man would help you and point out your mistakes. And the fire-female would simply accept, and praise you for your accomplishments._"

Harry tried to understand what his owl was saying. "_Why do you think so?_"

Hedwig hooted. "_Fawkes and I have watched them for days. While you might trust them, we do not, and will not let you get harmed. I know from your talking to me when you could not understand, what the book-cat and lazy-fox are like. We have kept an eye on you for longer than this sun-time, Harry._"

Harry sat down heavily. "_We'll talk about this later. First of all, I need to tell you something._" He looked seriously into Hedwig's brown, bird eyes.

"_Yes? What is it?_" Hedwig slightly wondered what had made Harry turn so serious.

"_There are such things as proper names._" Harry grinned at her.

The resulting chase led all throughout the Chamber and surrounding rooms and tunnels.

* * *

Professor Severus Snape looked at the list in front of him and sighed. He shouldn't have had to make this decision. Potter was supposed to get below an O on his Potions OWL, and not send him a perfectly made Animagus Potion either. Nor was he supposed to even want to get back into Potions. 

The list in front of him was sent out to every teacher, although a bit different for each. It contained the names of the students who had met their requirement for the NEWT level classes. Professor Snape held the record for the shortest list sent to him, as very few of any house wanted to go on further with the Professor. Normally, the majority of the list was made up of Slytherin students, with a few Ravenclaws added in. No Hufflepuff since he'd been teaching even dared to try, and Gryffindors hated Snape with a passion, so they wouldn't try.

This year, two Gryffindors had dared to get O's in Potions, and were asking to be placed in NEWT level Potions. One, Snape could understand, as Hermione Granger was the resident know-it-all. But why in the world did Harry Potter want to continue in the classroom with a subject taught by a Professor who hated him?

Snape had heard a rumor about Potter wanting to be an Auror, so that would explain it, but why did the brat send him that potion? It made no sense…

The Potions Professor continued to stare at the list in front of him, trying to figure out the mystery that was Harry Potter.

* * *

Two days after the OWL results came; Ron asked the question that all of them were thinking more or less, at breakfast. 

Harry sipped at his orange juice thoughtfully. He was actually wondering when they'd ask. "Tomorrow, if we spend most all day today practicing." He replied.

Ginny swallowed what was in her mouth. "Practicing? For what? And what would we be practicing?"

Harry turned his head, meeting each one of them with his emerald gaze. "Do you really think I'd let you loose in Diagon Alley without teaching you how to protect yourselves? Don't get me wrong, each of you did extraordinary at the Department of Mysteries, but I'd rather not end up with any injuries of any kind. Besides, we'll probably have another party to defend ourselves against."

Hermione figured it out first. "Professor Dumbledore is probably going to try and take us, isn't he?" Harry slowly nodded.

Ron and Ginny looked confused. "Why?" Ron asked for the both of them.

Harry sighed. "Let's just say that Dumbledore has a mental block where I'm concerned. He's convinced himself that I am not safe unless he has his eyes on me all the time. Since all of you are with me, I believe that mental block has been expanded."

Moony, who had been a silent spectator, decided to speak up. "No offense, but all of you are still in school. You'll have to forgive the Headmaster, but he believes that children don't often make good decisions, or are capable of defending themselves properly."

As all of the teens took that in, Moony sighed. Between Dumbledore and Harry, the werewolf had to side with Harry. Moony had heard the tales, and saw for himself that every school year, Harry had managed to get himself into a spot of trouble, usually because of Voldemort, and worm his way out spectacularly. And from what he had seen in these past few weeks, the black-haired teen would give anyone, Ministry, Dumbledore, or Voldemort, hell if they tried to mess with him.

The werewolf paused his musings at the sight of Harry's smirk. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny also looked up.

"Well then, we'll just have to prove them wrong, won't we?" Harry asked.

Harry was pleased to see the light in their eyes, and the grins on their faces. Dumbledore would certainly be given a hard time if he tried anything.

"Since that's that, we'll start training now. You have five minutes to get changed into something that you can battle in. Those who aren't here in five minutes will have to duel with me." Harry announced. It sent the teens scrambling. Harry watched them go with a grin on his face, but frowned when he looked at Remus, who was still sitting at the breakfast table. "You too, Moony."

"Me?" The werewolf blinked.

"Yes, you. If you're going to Diagon Alley with us, you'll be going as our guard, and our extra firepower. I won't have a rusty guard who doesn't really know his charges moves well enough to decide if he needs to intervene or not. So get going!"

Moony shot Harry an exasperated look before jogging off to his room.

Harry took one last sip of orange juice, before tapping his wand to his pajamas. The spell cancelled the illusion charms on the clothes, so that Harry was now wearing some robes that he had specifically made with battle in mind. He already had four other battle robes in another room off of the Chamber, waiting until Harry gave them away to the other inhabitants of the Chamber.

Speaking of, here they were. Harry checked his watch, and had to sigh over the fact that they were on time. A duel would have been so much fun… oh well.

"All right, here's how it's going to go. Moony, come here. He will be my demonstration partner. I will shoot a spell at him, and he will block. You will get five minutes to go over both spell and block, and then I will test you about it."

The werewolf sighed, and decided to go along with Harry for now. Besides, Harry was sure to know quite a few healing spells, should a curse get by.

Harry shot a stunning spell at Moony suddenly, who was too surprised to do anything about it. As Moony fell backwards, Harry grinned at his friends. "First lesson, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He shouted. They jumped, and Harry revived Moony. "Always be ready at any time to block."He told them cheerfully.

* * *

Harry sat up in his bed with sweat beading on his forehead. With a glance at his sleeping friends, he went quietly to the restroom, and rinsed his face off. Water dripping off his face, he looked in the mirror above the sink. He still looked almost asleep, except for the scar on his forehead. That was bright red, and Harry winced as the water dripped into the recently reopened scar. 

Harry gently wiped away the blood, while thinking furiously. All these weeks since the transfer, and he'd had only normal dreams. Well, Harry amended with a grin, normal compared to the usual nightmares he'd been having. One dream a few days ago consisted of him being chased by a purple people eater. If that was normal, Harry decided he didn't want to know what abnormal was.

For some reason, tonight he'd had one of his usual dreams; dreams about the Third Task, and the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Then, it had changed. He watched as Voldemort started planning an attack. And Harry somehow knew that this was no false vision.

So, Harry wondered, what was he to do? He could tell the Order, but then Voldemort would be alerted. And the Order would be… conspicuous when they prepared for the attack.

Then, a plan hit him. Harry froze his thoughts, and slipped silently to the Common Room, to think it over. When he flopped down into his favorite seat, he let his thoughts wash over him.

As more and more ideas came to him, he had to summon some parchment and a quill, to write down the more brilliant ones. When he finished brainstorming, he briefly looked over what he had written, and started to organize it on fresh parchment.

Satisfied, Harry rolled up the parchment, and vanished the other with a tap of his wand. His plan would work, although it depended heavily on his friends. And Voldemort wouldn't know what hit him.

Harry stretched, and then slapped his forehead as another thought occurred to him. In the dream, although it was from a spectator point of view, Harry had caught a few of Voldemort's stray thoughts. The Dark Lord was watching Professor Snape very closely, suspicious. The attack served a second purpose; to draw out the traitor that Voldemort was sure laid within the Death Eater ranks. Professor Snape had been at the public planning session, but after he left, the Dark Lord told the remaining Death Eaters something different. If the Potions Professor alerted the Order, he was as good as dead.

Harry quickly scribbled out a letter to the Professor. "_Hedwig? Are you awake?_" He sent, as he sealed the letter in an envelope with red wax.

In a few seconds, Harry saw his Snowy Owl appear in the Chamber. "_Yes, I was out hunting. Why are you awake? Shouldn't you be sleeping, like your pack mates?_"

Harry sighed. "_Hedwig, I'll explain later. This is very important. Could you take this letter to Professor Snape? It's important that you catch him before he gets to Dumbledore._" He held out the letter.

Hedwig took it in her beak. "_Of course, Harry._" She flew off, beating her wings rapidly. She was out of sight in the dark chamber in a blink.

Harry smiled in relief, and decided to do some more planning. He didn't think he would be able to go back to sleep anytime soon.

* * *

Professor Snape dropped his Death Eater robes and mask on his bedroom floor in disgust. He knew that the house elf assigned to him would clean them before the next meeting. Clean or not, he hated the robes, and not for the first time wished that he had said no to Voldemort a long time ago. 

He sighed, and changed into his regular robes, wishing that he could just go to sleep immediately. But Dumbledore would be expecting him, as would Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore for his report, and Pomfrey to check him over for any remnants of the more painful parts of the meeting.

He turned to exit, and stared at the white owl that had perched on the table between his position and the door. The letter at its feet told him the general purpose of its presence, but the Potions Professor wondered why anyone would send him an owl in the middle of the night.

Severus pointed his wand at the torch in the wall, which started to burn, giving him some light. He walked over, and picked up the letter carefully. Some owls were bad-tempered, and pecked at whoever went near their feet. To the owls' credit, it held still as he picked up the letter, and turned it over, examining it.

"Ah, you're Potter's owl. It figures that only Potter would be so inconsiderate as to owl me this late." The Potions Professor sneered at the owl, which ruffled its feathers and snapped its beak at him reproachfully. He ignored it, and opened the letter.

_Dear Professor Snape,_

_I know you're probably wondering why I'm writing to you, and so late too, but it's essential that you read this before your meeting with Dumbledore._

_I saw the Death Eater meeting in my dreams. Both meetings, I should say. Voldemort is not happy with how his attacks aren't succeeding, due to the Order's interference. He suspects you as being a spy, and gave you false information, passing it off as true. Voldemort is going to send some Death Eaters where he told you the attack was going to take place, and see if any Order members show up. You'll be kept behind, so that when the Death Eaters come back and report, you'll be in his grasp should the Order members show up._

_I guess it's rather obvious, but you mustn't say anything about an attack to Dumbledore, much less where he told you. Instead, tell Dumbledore that Voldemort spend the whole meeting trying to figure out where I'm living, or wanting something. I'll trust you to make up something convincing._

_Oh, and after you left, Voldemort had another meeting, telling everyone else that what he told you was a trap. Basically, you're in hot water. So, once again, **don't tell Dumbledore**! Your life is at stake._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

The Potions Professor looked at the letter. Could he trust Potter? More importantly, could he trust his life to the teen? Based on this information, it would be a short life if he didn't.

Severus let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Although he wasn't much of a gambler, he decided to place his bet with Potter. And if Potter were incorrect… he would be in for an unpleasant school year, to say the least.

Professor Snape smirked, set the letter from Potter on fire with a tap of his wand, and went to go report to Dumbledore.

* * *

Okay, there it is! First of all, I apologize for this chapter. I've had over a month to work on it, and I don't think it's that good. That would probably be caused by the fact that I haven't really worked on it. After my last update, I got busy, and when I wasn't, I had fallen out of the habit of writing and posting. So, once again, I'm sorry. 

Second, I've come to a decision about the reviews. I really enjoy all the reviews, but it's too much of a hassle to try and respond to all of them, or even hand out lollipops. So, from now on, I'll only acknowledge those reviews who have questions that I need to answer, or answer a question I see popping up a lot. I'm sorry, but the lollipops aren't going to be used anymore, unless there is an overwhelming demand to have them back.

As to reviewing, please do. I read every one, and greatly appreciate your comments. They help me make decisions as to what is going to happen in the story. I love to read what you think of me and the story, although some people coughambiance15cough should just learn to shut up and leave me alone if you don't like me or the story.

One review by reimanr06 caught my attention regarding the Animagus form sizes. I'll clarify; they aren't all the same sizes. Dots is slightly smaller than Swiftpaw, although not by much. From a distance, they could pass for the same size. Firefur, for all intent and purposes is sized in the general area of alab, definitely larger than Swiftpaw. Thanks for agood analogy. And Shadowfang is the biggest of the lot. The top of Firefur's head (not including ears) comes up to Shadowfang's jaw line. Is that better?

Anyway, as to the rest of all, I really love you! You'll see the results of last chapter's questions in the next few chapters. But, onto the new format. I'm going to ask a question, which I may be undecided on, or I just want to see all of you speculate on. You never know which one it is, so review. It might affect the outcome of the story.

Question: How will Snape use the Animagus Potion that Harry gave him?

One last thing before I go.. HBP is going to be released in two days! Fwee! I can't wait! Then this story will be officially AU!

Gotta go! Please review!


	17. Drums of War

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Don't sue

Chapter 16: Drums of War

Severus Snape was very, very glad he'd trusted Potter's information. True to Potter's letter, he'd been kept behind, watched carefully by the Dark Lord, as other Death Eaters went to see if the Order showed up where Snape was told an attack was taking place. Even though he knew that no Order members would be there, Snape still fought viciously to keep from shaking with fear in the Dark Lord's presence.

Then, thirty minutes after the Death Eaters went to check, they came back with news that there were no signs of Order members anywhere. Snape hid his sigh of relief, as Voldemort Crucio'd one of the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord wasn't happy that he'd been given false information on the spy within the Death Eater ranks, and Snape was saved. Although he still wasn't trusted completely, the Dark Lord gave Snape a short Crucio and sent him off. Compared to other meetings, a short Crucio was a blessing.

Upon return to his quarters at Hogwarts, Snape wrote out a letter, and sent it off immediately, before going to give his report to Dumbledore. Of course, the report would be severely altered, and Dumbledore would probably not be very happy with it, but Snape knew it had to be done. Besides, it was fun watching the Headmaster's face, as he got annoyed over not having access to Snape's mind.

* * *

Harry looked up absently at the sound of an owl winging its way toward him. From where they were practicing, the Marauders looked up too. Four pairs of eyes watched as Harry nodded to the owl, which bowed his head and flew off. As Harry read the short letter, a grin appeared on his face. 

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I will expect you in my NEWT Potions class come first-term. Whether you stay or not is up to your performance._

_Tell anyone that I voluntarily allowed you in, and you will have two months of detention with me, and one hundred points will be taken._

_Severus Snape_

_Potions Master, Hogwarts._

"What does it say, Harry?" Ginny asked, coming over. She was surprised when the teen just grinned at her, and destroyed the piece of paper with a tap of his wand.

"I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later, but I can't tell you right now. I'll just say that I got some good news." Harry answered. The letter that was so typically Snape told him three good things. Well, some weren't literally listed, and one could be debated… First, Snape trusted him enough to not tell Dumbledore about the false information. That led to the second piece of good news; Snape was alive, and was out of danger now. If Ron ever found out, he'd be disappointed, but Snape was a valuable spy, one that the Light side couldn't afford to lose. And last, he was in Potions class, which Harry needed in order to try and be an Auror.

Ginny looked at him oddly, as did the others. Harry had informed them that the Diagon Alley excursion had been pushed back a few days more, for reasons that Harry refused to name. They were confused at Harry's sudden vagueness.

"_Harry, more owls are coming. They claim to be bringing replies to the letters you sent last night._" Hedwig informed Harry. The teen nodded. "_Tell them to come. I've been waiting on them._"

In a few seconds, about two-dozen owls flew into the chamber, flying around Harry. A quick mental message, and all the letters were deposited on the dining table, and the owls on perches around the Chamber.

Ron looked at all the owls in disbelief. "Harry, what's going on? Why are all these owls here?"

Harry looked at his friends, all of who had questioning looks on their faces. He sighed. "Everyone, go to the Common Room and sit down. I'll be with you in just a few minutes. Then I'll explain." They looked at each other, and slowly made their way to the Common Room.

Harry, on the other hand, went to the dining table and began sifting through the letters. Using his wand, all of the envelopes opened, making it easy for him to take out the contents and read them quickly. He read them all, starting to smile.

True to his word, Harry joined his friends in the Common Room a few minutes later, plopping down on his favorite chair. "Before you start asking questions, you should look at something first. Then I'll answer your questions." Harry said, waving his wand. Two pieces of parchment flew onto the central table in the Common Room.

They all leaned in to look, as Harry sat back, waiting for the questions and comments to start.

Surprisingly, it was Ron that figured it out first. "Is this… What are these plans for? Is there going to be an attack on Diagon Alley?" The redhead looked up at Harry.

Harry nodded. "In two days' time, Ron. And those are our plans to defend the Alley."

Moony also looked up, frowning. "How do you know this? And how exactly are we going to defend Diagon Alley with only five people."

Harry smirked. "Actually, it's closer to thirty people, Moony.And ithelps to have a scar that conveniently lets you eavesdrop on Death Eater meetings."

"Where are we going to get thirty people?" Hermione asked.

"We already have them, Hermione." Harry replied. "Well, actually we have roughly twenty-six confirmed. I'm still waiting for four people to say that they're going to do it."

Ginny blinked at him. "Harry, cut the crap, and tell us already. You and what army have you got to do all this?"

Harry grinned. "Dumbledore's." He was enjoying the confused looks on their faces.

Hermione shook her head. "Dumbledore's…?" She trailed off questioningly.

"Army. You remember, also known as the DA?"

At that, the three other teens began to understand. Hermione clicked all the pieces together first. "The DA? You mean to tell me that you think a bunch of students are going to take on fully trained Death Eaters and win?"

"We've done it before, and with greater odds. Besides, every DA member that I owled said that they would help." Harry retorted.

As one, the Marauders and Moony looked at the stack of letters lying on the dining table. Harry smirked, watching understanding dawn.

"How long have you been planning this?" Moony asked in the silence that had fallen.

"Since yesterday morning. That was when I found out via dream."

Ginny brightened. "So that was why you were so tired yesterday!"

Harry nodded. "Yes. It was a few hours after midnight, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I started planning. I waited to tell you all until I got replies from the DA. So now the question is, will all of you help us?"

Silence fell again, as they considered Harry's words. And wondered if Harry was actually certifiably crazy. It certainly seemed like it. If the information that Harry had provided was correct, and it probably was, the Death Eaters greatly outnumbered the DA. The plan he had looked almost suicidal.

A deep sigh sounded, and Moony shook his head. "Well, you know what they say… Friends don't let friends get AK'd… I'm in."

Harry chuckled. "Thanks, Moony."

Ron smirked. "Count me in too, Shade."

"Don't forget me, Shade. I won't let you get killed all by yourself." Ginny looked resigned. Harry grinned at her.

As one, they looked at Hermione, who was looking at the plans with a bit of a frown on her face. She looked up, and raised an eyebrow. "What? Did you honestly think I wouldn't go? Someone needs to keep an eye on those two." She said, pointing at Harry and Ron.

The boys grinned at Hermione, and Ginny tackled Hermione in a hug. Moony let the corners of his mouth twitch upward.

* * *

Hedwig looked at the owls in front of her sternly. "_All of you understand your mission?_" 

The owls traded amused glances within their ranks. As one, they all responded with "_Yes ma'am!_"

The Snowy Owl rolled her eyes. "_I just want you to understand the seriousness of this. If we don't get the letters out, Harry could die, as would many others. You must get those letters into your person's hands!"_

Heads lifted. Hedwig's words had hit them. Numa answered for all of them. "_We understand perfectly, Hedwig. We won't let anything happen to Harry's letters. I think I can say that each and every owl here would die before being intercepted by any one else besides our person. Harry means a lot to us to._"

Hedwig preened her ruffled chess feathers down. "_I know, I know… just… be careful, will you?_"

The owls hooted reassuringly. Hedwig looked at them with pride in her eyes. "_Now, go! Fly high and far!_"

A cacophony of hoots sounded in an owl cheer, as the owls rose into the air, winging their way to their destination. As soon as they got into the air, they were to pair up, one flying with the letter, the other on the watch for danger, a backup just in case.

Hedwig watched them go, and didn't turn her head when she heard the soft beat of wings.

Fawkes looked at the white owl curiously. "_So, do you go Drill Instructor much?_" He wasn't quite quick enough to dodge the white wing that cuffed him on the head.

"_Be nice, you overcooked turkey!_" Hedwig glared at him.

Fawkes decided to be amused. "_And you're telling _me_ to be nice? Oh well, that's to be expected of a snowy winged midget._"

"_Ancient Pyromaniac!_"

"_Young whippersnapper!_"

"_Bloody featherbrain!_"

"_Bleached-out winged rat!_"

Hedwig quivered with anger. "_Oh, now that went too far! You washed-out little songbird! You…_" and then she proceeded to use some words that she didn't quite know what they meant, but knew they were bad. Harry had used them to describe Dumbledore once when he had gotten mad, and they didn't sound particularly nice.

Fawkes looked thunderstruck. "_Where on earth did you learn all those?_" He asked, with a faint tinge of admiration for her vocabulary.

It was a very good thing that owls couldn't blush, or else Hedwig would've been as red as Fawkes. "_Er… Harry._"

"_I certainly never heard him use _those_ words!_"

Hedwig wished she could smirk. "_Maybe your old ears aren't working like they used to?_"

Fawkes opened his beak to retort, but stopped. He then started laughing. "_You're good, Hedwig, very good. You win_." He bowed his head in deference.

Hedwig ruffled her feathers in pride. "_Naturally_"

"_Hedwig, One, Fawkes, Zilch!_" The birds jumped. They hadn't realized Harry had been listening. They turned their heads, and glared at Harry, who just waved cheekily at them, and grinned.

Fawkes looked at Hedwig. "_After you, my lady._"

Hedwig inclined her head. "_Thank you, kind sir_"

Harry ran for it, as the birds swooped after him, much to his friends' amusement.

* * *

Neville Longbottom looked up at the two owls winging their way towards him, and frowned, puzzled. One of them carried a letter, and the other… nothing. Why would two owls come for one letter? It didn't make any sense. 

Wiping his dirty hands off on his pants, Neville stood up from where he had been working in his garden, and accepted the letter.

The teen smiled, as he recalled receiving another letter yesterday. He had been surprised that anyone had written to him, but overjoyed. Once he read the letter, however, his joy disappeared, to be replaced by a bit of fright, pride, and seriousness. The letter had been from Harry, and told him frightening news: Death Eaters were planning to attack Diagon Alley in three days. But, Harry had assured with his loopy writing, he had a plan, one that would stop the attack. It only needed the DA members' cooperation, and support. It was their choice if they wanted to help or not, but whatever they decided, they had to not mention this to anybody. The whole plan was based on the element of surprise.

Neville had warred with his fright and pride. His frightened side wanted to say no, and avoid Diagon Alley like the plague. His pride berated him, reminding him of how he had survived the battle at the Department of Mysteries, and helped take out the Death Eaters. He was still undecided, when he noticed the postscript, written in scarlet ink. It simply read, "Hey Neville! I know you're probably a bit scared at this. Don't be ashamed, I'm kind of scared too. But I know that this will work, and that you'll do splendidly. We did kick arse at the DoM, remember? This will be just a bigger version of that, only we know exactly what we're getting into, and the DE's don't. And, like the DoM, I'll be fighting right alongside with you! Go Gryffindor!"

At that moment, Neville knew exactly why he had followed Harry two months ago, and why he would follow him now. Harry inspired loyalty, by simply placing himself no higher than and fighting right alongside his companions. That, and Neville was reminded that he was a Gryffindor.

Neville looked quickly over the plans Harry had sent him, and smiled. He almost pitied the Death Eaters.

* * *

It was lucky for the Weasley twins that explosions were commonplace wherever they were, or else they would have been discovered. And this last explosion was the biggest yet, so they were doubly lucky. 

"Fred, did you see that?" A cheerful voice exclaimed, even as the hands that belonged to the voice waved away the purple smoke.

"No I didn't." An almost identical voice responded, although it was laced with sarcasm. "What do you think, George? If the explosion was any indication, this is our best creation yet!"

The smoke cleared enough so that the twins could see each other. At the sight of the aftereffects of the smoke, they burst out laughing. "It looks like we have a winner, Fred!"

Fred nodded, and waved his wand in a series of complicated gestures and words. Both now free of the smoke's effects, they started humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like something from a muggle movie about an ogre as they went back to work.

They stopped humming, as two owls swooped through the window just minutes after the explosion, one carrying a letter, and the other… nothing. The owl with the letter merely offered it out, and the twins could see familiar, loopy handwriting, addressing the envelope to both of them at once.

Fred thanked the owl as he took the letter, and started reading the contents, his twin peeking over his shoulder. When they finished, they were sporting identical grins of mischief and unholy terror.

The watching owls looked uneasy at that, and were eager to return back with the twins' reply. A bunch of snickering later, the redheads offered their reply to the pair of owls, who took it, and winged away as quick as they could.

Behind them, the twins decided that although their newest creation would be awesome to use in the battle, it wouldn't really help Harry out a lot. So, they started anew, on a project that would be very, very useful in the battle just a few days away.

* * *

Severus Snape looked thoughtfully at the white potion in front of him. He had held onto the potion that Harry had given him, neither using nor studying it. Many a time had he wished he could have had a true white Animagus Revealo Potion, but since the potions that he had made weren't a true white, and he held very strict standards as to what potions he drank, he had never had the chance to find out what his Animagus form was. Or if he even had one. Several times he wondered later why he'd thrown out all those imperfect Animagus potions, when he could have just swallowed it down, and at least find out what his form was. But it didn't matter now; he had a true white Animagus Potion. 

The Potions Professor sighed, and picked up the vial, and uncorked it. A brief thought flashed through his mind: he was actually going to ingest a potion made by Harry Potter, the bane of his existence. He held the vial away from him, looking at it with suspicion and feeling a bit of horror with himself.

But, then other thoughts came to his mind. How Potter had given the potion to him with one request; consider letting him into NEWT Potions class. The boy hadn't demanded it, but rather asked for the Professor to think twice about it. It also occurred to Snape that Potter had saved his life, with that information about the false information. That in and of itself was a fact to be marveled at. After all the times that he had been cruel and a general bastard to the boy, Potter still saved his life.

Forcing all thoughts to the back of his mind, and before he could stop himself, Snape lifted the vial to his mouth and swallowed quickly. Remembering what he had read about the potion, he made it to his bed just in time, right before he passed out.

An hour later, his eyes snapped open, and he realized that his face felt… stretched. It was a few seconds later that he realized he was actually smiling. He stopped at once, although he felt a strange weight had been lifted off his shoulders. After all that worry that he would be a… a rat like Pettigrew, or a mutt like Black… but there was really no need to worry at all. It was something that he wouldn't lose his dignity by actually admitting that he could change into his form, or something big and bold that would be of no use to him. Snape shook his head in faint amusement, and went to start a new potion he had wanted to try and make.

* * *

Harry smiled as he sifted through the replies that the owls had brought back. Each letter brought a more personal note to Harry, and said that they would be in their stations when the attack was scheduled to take place. 

Luna Lovegood's reply was by far the strangest. Her letter read,

"_Dear Harry,_

_I will be glad to help out in your attack. Daddy and I were planning to go to Diagon Alley to check out reports of a new species, the Snofalofaling Wimbibler, anyway. After the battle, would you like to help us search for it?_"

Harry couldn't help but laugh. If they survived, Harry promised himself he'd go look for the Snow-whatsits-thingy with Luna.

* * *

Please don't kill me! 

That said, I apologize for not getting this chapter up sooner. I had planned on it, but school started back up (go seniors!), and I'm in a college level course in HS, I had boy troubles (what girl _doesn't_?), and then all this Hurricane crud... Oh, and my muse deserted me. But, I finally got this up, so don't kill me... besides if you do, you won't know how the rest of this story will turn out!

Hmm...two more things to say. First of all, unless something totally drastic happens, I will **_NOT_** abandon this story. I may become busy, thanks to school or other outside sources, and my updates will be rather spaced out, but I won't just up and decide I don't want to anymore. I hate it when other authors do that, and I don't want to be a hypocrite. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to y'all, and I know that some of you would probably track me down and find a way to AK me or something. ;-)

Second, I'm astonished at all the reviews I got. I'm really touched that that many people like my story, and take their time to review. Again, I just kinda got busy and my muse deserted me, so I didn't update (again, please forgive me), but I really loved all of the reviews I got. Please continue to review, give me ideas, and whatnot.

Okay folks, assuming that you're still not too pissed off at me for not updating for over two months, here's a few questions to get you thinking about Beast Lord!

1. What is Snape's Animagus form? (he he, I'd love to see what you come up with)  
2. Taking in the fact that I used a lot of author's creative license in this story, what dateis the attack on Diagon Alley taking place on?  
3. What will Gred and Forge's first prank do? (the one that the deemed unuseful for battle) What will they come up with to help in battle?

Well, 'til next update (which will be in less than two months)! Love ya!

Ceres K.


	18. Gotta Catch 'em All!

(A/N: Youwill watch this pocket watch going back and forth. See the pretty watch?At the end of this Author's Note, you will read this latest chapter, and feel any anger you may have drain away. You will realize thatanything you mayrecognize from the Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, notthis poor author. You will also realize thatFred and George's little... thing isan adaption of something some of you should know about. Again, not totally mine. End Author's Note.)

Chapter 17: Gotta Catch 'em All!

"Hey Harry!"

Harry smiled at Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, who were in front of Gambol and Japes. "Hey guys. Was your summer okay?"

"It was a little boring, but nothing too bad. Do you know what time it is?" Dean asked.

"Almost noon. I'm going to go get some lunch. Talk to you later!" Harry winked at them, and wandered off, absently noting all of his schoolmates and DA members congregating in small groups, chatting. To the rest of the wizardfolk around them, it seemed perfectly normal. Harry knew that they were actually getting into their spots for the attack, which would take place soon. He had been checking with all of the groups, and so far, everyone was present or accounted for.

Harry ordered a small sundae from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, absently noting that Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbott were three tables away, spooning up their own ice cream. Harry gave a slight nod to them, and they waved with their fingers. They were ready, their slight message said, and Harry grinned. So far, none of the wizards had noticed anything was amiss about all of the students gathering in Diagon Alley.

As he closed his eyes to better flavor the ice cream on his spoon, his magical sight kicked in. Recently, his second vision had been fluctuating on and off. Sometimes it was annoying, and sometimes helpful. Like that one time where he had been dueling Remus, and had seen the silent spell the werewolf had sent his way. Or that other time when Harry found a nasty booby trap in one of the tunnels he was exploring. Now, however, his magical sight revealed a glowing black web forming all around him, and what Harry knew was Diagon Alley. He glanced at the patterns, and guessed that it was an anti-apparition ward that was being set up. Turning his head slowly, he noticed another, thicker-laid web in the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley. Harry then knew that the Death Eaters were in the Alley, hidden under an invisibility spell, waiting for their moment.

Harry opened his eyes and stood up, throwing away his half-finished sundae. Justin and Hannah looked at this sudden movement, and were alarmed when he flexed his right hand and went out into the Alley. The two, in response to his signal, also stood up and fingered their wands, waiting for the signal to proceed with their orders.

As Harry strode towards where he had seen the illusion web, all across the Alley, students stopped their chatter and watched Harry carefully. Luckily, he didn't cause that much attention due to the silence from the other wizards as they wondered if Harry Potter had indeed come into their midst.

The first gong caused noise to swell up. According to Caesar's Custom Clocks, a new store that had opened up this summer, and its huge grandfather clock, the time was now twelve o'clock. Patrons of Diagon Alley realized that it was lunchtime, and started hurrying away. Those nearest the Apparition point in and out of Diagon Alley were the first to find out that they couldn't Apparate out of the Alley. Confusion reigned as the fifth stroke tolled, except amongst the students. Some directed the mass of bewildered adults to the Floo station in The Leaky Cauldron, where Dennis and Colin Creevey were waiting with a huge vat of Floo powder. Others ran into shops, telling the owners point-blank that they were to cast the strongest spells they knew of to protect the shop, lock the door, and leave.

The final, twelfth gong rang, causing a wave of tension to run through the Alley. Harry drew his wand, as did the other DA members.

"_Protego!_" Harry said quietly, just in time to rebound the red stunner sent his way. "Oh Daisy Eaters, come out and play! We know you're there!" He smirked as the invisibility spell fell, and fifty black-cloaked figures appeared.

The adults immediately recognized the Death Eaters for what they were, and panicked. To their surprise, they were led immediately to the Leaky Cauldron, where the Creevey brothers handed them a pinch of Floo powder and told them to go home. It wasn't safe.

The Death Eaters didn't notice how quickly the Alley was emptying of all the adults, so focused were they on the youth in front of them.

"Oh, so you did decide to play." Harry's eyes glinted mischievously. "You went first. Now it's my turn." In the time that his opponents were able to blink, five of their number went down to Harry's quick stunners.

That was the signal for the DA members to attack. Jinxes and Hexes flew towards the Death Eaters, who were not ready for an assault. Almost half of the Death Eaters were down before the others got smart and started casting shield charms. Some kept the shield charm up under the barrage of spells, while the others revived their compatriots.

Undeterred, the DA members kept on shooting spells, their mind set on their mission. Harry moved silently, casting powerful hexes every now and then. Once he realized that the Death Eaters were merely countering the spells the DA members did get through, he pursued a different course of action. With a sense of slight regret, he aimed his wand carefully, and took a deep, somewhat shaky breath.

"_Dissendo_!" The cutting curse flew straight past the shield the Death Eaters had put up, and straight into the leg of one of those who was supporting the shield. The Death Eater screamed as blood sprouted from his now exposed leg, the curse causing his robe to go straight to ribbons and his leg showing a deep gash.

Both sides stopped for a moment, and looked at Harry. Both sides were, for a moment, united in their disbelief that Harry Potter would do such a thing.

Harry, however, had a cold look on his face. "Daisy Eaters, this is your chance to surrender. I know quite a few spells that will do that, but worse. Give up now, or face the consequences." He struggled to make his face emotionless, ignoring the feelings of guilt that sprang up.

A defiant Death Eater was the first to cast the horrible spell. "_Avada Kedavra!_" Gasps were heard all around the circle of DA members. Harry flicked his wand, and a huge, tightly stuffed pillow appeared in between him and the curse. The Unforgiveable slammed into the pillow, diminishing as it went through layers and layers of feathers. Harry was untouched, but the pillow exploded, sending feathers everywhere.

"I guess that's a no, then." Harry's voice came out of the feathery storm and he took the advantage with his magical sight to send curses flying. By the time the feathers had settled, half of the Death Eaters were down on the ground, bleeding from deep gashes on their bodies.

"Last chance, Daisy Eaters. I won't warn you again." Harry said. He raised his eyebrow as one of the few still left standing spit towards him. "Okay, no more warnings. Guys, blast 'em"

In a flurry of red stunners, those left standing were down and out. Harry smirked, and waved his wand. All of the Death Eaters piled up, and Harry tossed a small red and white ball at them. His friends watched, fascinated, as the ball separated into their colored halves, and a bright light issued forth. When they could see again, the Death Eaters were gone, and Harry was striding forward to pick up the now closed ball.

"What was that?" Ginny was the first to ask.

Fred and George piped up. "Magi-Balls! Capture your enemies and friends with one ball, and collect them! Lasts for three days, and are great for little siblings, annoying pets, and Death Eaters"

Harry snickered. "And right in here, I have our fifty little friends." He held up the small ball in his palm, and showed it to the onlookers. Then he looked at his watch. "We have five more minutes until the next wave. Everyone relax, and great job."

Five minutes later, they all stood up at Harry's hand motion, and held their wands out. All of them began to feel cold, and looked at Harry nervously. His own face was pale and taught, as screams started in his head. "It'll be okay, guys. This is nothing. Remember what I taught all of you last term. Focus on your happiest memories." Harry said soothingly, although he felt far from calm.

As over two hundred Dementors came into sight, Harry searched for the most recent, happiest memory he could possibly have. He'd discovered that the more recent and happier the memory, the stronger a Patronus would be. His mind settled on him wrestling with Firefur the day before. He slightly wondered why that memory came up, but pushed the thought away, as he had no time to seriously think about it.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry, as well as many others of the group around him shouted. His brightly shining stag was the first to leap out, followed by Ginny's lioness, Hermione's otter, and the Weasley twin's pair of raccoons. Other silvery forms followed, leaping out of wands too quickly for Harry to recognize which Patronus belonged to whom. Harry's stag, though, led them all. Beads of sweat dripped down Harry's face as he concentrated on pouring power into his wand, and therefore his Patronus.

That concentration nearly broke when Harry saw silvery vapor rising out of his wand. Slowly, it collected into the form of a giant dog, which Harry recognized easily. "Padfoot?" He whispered in disbelief. The dog wagged his tail, and ran off to join the group of Patronii. The silvery mass circled around the Dementors bundling all one hundred into a single group.

Harry poured even more power into his wand as he realized that some of the Patronii were disappearing. "If your Patronus has disappeared, take some chocolate from the back ranks, and recast if you can! Hold them steady!" He shouted over his shoulder to those who couldn't hold the spell any longer, and those who were trembling.

Once all the Dementors were in their places, Harry breathed heavily as he cast his spell, casting a prayer upward that it would work. "Incendio Patronii!" Harry was almost blinded as his magical sight showed vibrant red and gold webs shooting out of his wand. The webs first wrapped around his two Patronii, and then spread to the others. Soon, what was left of the group of Patronii were no longer silver, but blazing with red and gold fire. Harry struggled to turn off his magical senses before the sight blinded him. When that didn't work, Harry simply closed his eyes, and hoped for the best.

Prongs attacked the Dementors first. His fiery antlers tore straight through the Dementor's robe, and out through the other side. The Dementor issued a chilling shriek before collapsing into a pile of black robes. The remaining Patronii followed his example, as teeth, claws, and any other available weapon attacked the Dementors. A cacophony of shrieks sounded, and everyone within hearing flinched as chills went down their spines. All of the DA members except Harry lost their concentration, and only Padfoot and Prongs were left of the glowing Patronii. And where the Dementors had stood was a pile of black robes.

Harry opened his eyes and watched in amazement as the two Patronii looked at each other, and walked back to him. "But, how?" He whispered. Prongs just bowed his regal head, still slightly ablaze, and Padfoot grinned and wagged his tail. They disappeared, their task done.

Harry immediately collapsed, exhausted and panting. His vision swam in front of him, and he saw the concerned faces of the new Marauders looking at him before he blacked out.

* * *

Ron shook off his shock, gathered his courage, and took charge. "Everyone, good job. We managed to survive. Go home quickly. Do not speak to anyone, I repeat, anyone about what you've just seen or heard.. There may be spies about, even when you talk to your mother. Until you receive an owl from Harry himself, you are not to even think about this. He won't like it if the whole story is printed on the front of the Daily Prophet tomorrow."

Everyone nodded in numb agreement. He went on. "You may be getting owls from the Ministry, talking about underage magic. Everyone will give their wands to Remus, so that nothing will happen to them. We'll get everything sorted out later. Just go on about your normal business."

Again, everyone nodded. "Now, get going. Make sure to hand your wand to Remus, so that it won't get snapped by those idiots down at the Ministry."

Remus conjured a cardboard box, and the students filed past him, dropping their wands into the box. Hermione's careful eye watched them to make sure that they didn't try to keep their wands, and Ron made sure that each student wasn't hurt or hexed before letting them go to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo away. Ginny got Harry as comfortable as she could, and absently ran her fingers through his messy hair.

Once all the students were away, Remus grabbed the box, and Ron lifted Harry gently. "I have to admit, we did one hell of a job." Ron smiled proudly.

"Language, Ron." Hermione said exasperatedly. "But yes, we did. I wasn't sure we'd make it out with no injuries whatsoever."

Remus looked at the teen in Ron's arm fondly. "It's all thanks to Harry. Without him, no doubt every person that was in this Alley would have been killed."

Ginny nodded. "Yeah… so does any one of us have any idea how he managed to know the Death Eaters were there before they attacked, or how he managed to kill all of those Dementors?"

"Not a darn clue," Ron said cheerfully. "I'm sure that Harry's probably as lost as the rest of us on that last one. We'll just have to ask him when he wakes up."

* * *

"_Calm down Hedwig, and stop that ridiculous screeching! You look undignified!"_

Hedwig looked at her talons, embarrassed. "_I'm worried about Harry. He hasn't woken up yet. Is this normal? Why hasn't he woken up yet?_" She continued rambling.

Fawkes gently whacked her with his wing. "_You're starting to sound like the Weasley clan leader._"

"_Who, that Arthur guy?_" Hedwig asked.

Fawkes chuckled. "_You don't know who really leads the family? I thought it was obvious_."

"_Oh, the mother hen? I'm sorry, but I'm very worried about my master and friend!_" Hedwig looked at him severely.

"_I know, I know. But you've got to calm down. He only got in ten minutes ago. Besides, this is normal for humans who burn out their magic cores. Harry had to perform some very complicated magic, and created a new spell. Right now, his magical core is almost empty, and he's in a deep sleep while his body tries to refill._"

Hedwig looked scandalized. "_What do you mean he drained his magical core? He's not supposed to do that! Any fledgling knows that you have to have some reserves going, so you don't completely empty your magical core._"

"_Tell me, Hedwig, who told him as a fledgling about how to do all that? The humans have not realized how to do this yet. Harry only got the ability to speak to the animals over a month or two ago. He's never been trained, so it would be impossible for Harry to know how._" Fawkes told the white owl, who had to think about that.

"_I guess you're right,_" Hedwig said grudgingly.

Fawkes would've smirked if he had lips. "_Naturally. When are you going to bow down and worship my very being?_"

Fawkes decided that he probably should not say such things to a testy female owl within sight range. When a female is in a fowl mood, it was best to just keep quiet, and not have to run for dearlife.

* * *

Harry came to consciousness slowly, but kept his eyes closed. Running a mental check, Harry realized that he felt he had been run over by the Knight Bus. Four times, continuously. He decided that although his plan had worked, he shouldn't try that spell again until he knew how to store his magic together. Part of why he felt so awful was because the Patronus and Incendius Patronus Charms had to get magic from everywhere in his body, his magic was that scattered.

Absently, the teen wondered where everyone else was. Reaching out carefully with his magical senses, Harry discovered that he was in his bed in the Chamber, and the four other Marauders were in the Common Room. From what he could read of their emotions, all of them were concerned about him. Hedwig was currently speaking to a very injured Fawkes, her anger almost radiating off her. Harry couldn't make out what his owl was saying, because his mind wasn't completely awake.

Deciding that it was now or never, Harry slowly lifted his eyelids up, letting him see with his own eyes. Luckily for him, the light was off, so he wasn't squinting. As if it were a switch, his sight turned on all his other senses. Harry realized that he still had his clothes on, was lying in his bed, and a damp cloth was on his forehead.

"…and if he doesn't tell us how he did that…" Harry heard from an angry sounding Hermione. Quickly closing his eyes, Harry decided it was safer for his health if he went back to sleep.

* * *

"Oh dear, I must be getting cabin fever. Would anyone like to join me for a stroll in Diagon Alley?" Molly Weasley looked around, desperately. After Harry carted off her two youngest children, she had refused to leave Headquarters. Right now, however, she was feeling confined, and was desperate to get out. Shopping had always calmed her nerves. Normally, it was window-shopping, but Molly had saved up for a nice, new robe.

A few of the adults around the table looked excited about going. Tonks, in particular, looked delighted. "That would be wonderful, Molly. Diagon Alley---"

"Wos a'most razed to the ground, it was." All heads turned to the newest voice that had entered the conversation. Mundungus Fletcher had a pale look on his face. "I wos in Knockturn Alley, brushin' up on me friends, when the clock toll'd noon. I di'n't feel right, so I tried to 'pparate out, but wards were up agains' it."

Albus leaned forward. "Mundungus, tell us what happened." His eyes looked serious.

Mundungus shuddered. "I went to the Leaky Cauldron as fast as I coul', to Floo ou'. On the way, I saw some black robes, and whi'e masks. I woulda seen more, but a tyke rushed me inna the pub, handed me some powder, and rushed me off. They was probably Death Eaters, Albus."

The table was silent, when the door to the room banged open. Severus Snape stumbled in, his robes smoking, and bleeding all over. "Severus, what happened?" Came the cry from several throats.

"It seems for once, Mundungus is right. The Dark Lord attacked Diagon Alley today, and kept me behind, so I wouldn't 'accidentally' find Apparition abilities placing me here. He told me that he had sent fifty Death Eaters, and over two hundred Dementors to Diagon Alley, to utterly destroy it. After thirty minutes, a Death Eater came in, and told us that they couldn't find the fifty Death Eaters anywhere, the Dementors were nowhere to be found, and Diagon Alley was still standing. The Dark Lord let me go after a few rounds of Cruciatus, and killed the messenger." Severus winced, and clutched his arm, where his dark mark was burning. "He's not very happy right now, as you can imagine."

As Poppy Pomfrey rose to treat the spy's injuries, a third man appeared in the doorframe. "Dumbledore, sir, the Underage Magic Detectors picked up some major spells being thrown about in Diagon Alley. When our Investigators arrived, all they could see were feathers all over the place, and Dark Magic all over. And we found over two hundred pieces of burnt, black cloth where we registered some very powerful charm, that even our sensors can't identify what spell it is." Kingsley Shacklebolt looked vaguely worried.

Tonks linked the pieces together second. "So you're saying someone fought fifty Death Eaters, destroyed Dementors, and they were students?" She almost shrieked.

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, and gestured with his hands. A goblet of pumpkin juice appeared in his fingers, and he raised it in a toast. "Well played, Mr. Potter, well played." He said, and sipped.

* * *

Okay, I realize some of you are pissed that I didn't get this in much earlier. So much crap has happened in the past two months. Just for an example, I got stood up at the Homecoming Dance for my school (according to his mother, he was sick. according to the #(#, he wasn't, just didn't want to call me the night before when he knew he wasn't going to make it because of... long story, if you really want to know, I'll tell you, but it would take up too much space right here). And that doubly sucks, 'cause I'm a Senior. Also, in the past two months, I must have had easily a billion things to do for my stupid, Dual Credit English class, and my class had a bit of a blow-up with the teacher. Let's just saymy life hasnot been thecoolest lately.

On top of that, my Musedeserts me often. I'll try to catch her so I can write again. Due to the stupidity that is school, boys, and life, my update schedule will be sporadic. Please be patient, and don't bring out the torches and pitchforks immediately.

As for questions... pretty much the same as last chapter. Since I was more concerned on getting content in, I'm pretty sure that I didn't put the date of the attack in. Next chapter, I promise. Some of you have already guessed it. And if you want to ask questions, go for it! I'm just not completely sure it will be answered. ;-)

Well, 'til next we meet!

Ceres K.


	19. Dreams

Disclaimer: The only thing in here that's truly mine is the plot. Contary to some belief, I'm not JKR in disguise, although it is a great compliment to be compared to her.Besides, I'm poor, and JKR is... not. So there.

(A/N: Hey all! I'm back! For those wanting longer chappies, this one is 4448 pre-editing, so cheers! A few things to tell you before you rush into the chapter I believe some of you have been waiting a long time for. First,this chapter has a few instances where there are curse words.I believe that in one particular section where these curse words are placed,the person speaking them _should_ be speaking them. It would be against the character's nature to substitute cuss words for thinks like "poopie-heads," "dagnabbit,"and my personal favorite, "fudge-knuckles!" If you are not mature enough to handle these cuss words, then by all means, keep it to yourselves. Like I've said many times before, don't like, don't read. Second and last (told you it was a _few _things I wanted to tell you), this chapter is formatted a bit differently. Read the chapter title, and you'll understand. If you still don't, hopefully you'll pick it up as you read. If you still, still don't, I'd just like to say wow. And a few words... Percy's ideal cauldron bottoms ;-) Now onto the chapter! See you at the AN at the end!)

Chapter 18: Dreams

"_C'mon Harry! You have to see this!" Harry ran after the girl in front of him, her short black hair bouncing as she ran. It was tough, following her through the tall, grassy field._

"_If you'd slow down a bit, I could follow easier!" Harry panted as he ran. His seven-year-old body was small, and he couldn't part through the grass as easily as she._

_They came to a stop in front of her two sisters. "You brought him, good." Harry caught his breath and, scrunched his nose up at the speaker, who looked exactly like the girl Harry had followed, except with shoulder-length hair._

"_As you wanted, sister dear. Can we show him now?" The first girl asked easily._

_The two other sisters nodded, and stepped aside. Harry saw what they had been hiding; a giant loom with threads weaving themselves into a pattern. As he stepped forward, the three sisters moved, the one with short black hair to a spindle that was making threads, the medium length black haired sister to choose threads from a pile to enter the loom, and the longest-haired one of all to the loom itself, weaving the threads into the unseen pattern._

"_This will be a tapestry, won't it?" Harry asked._

_The sister at the loom nodded. "A grand tapestry, which will be forever exalted." _

"_It will tell a grand story about mankind." Said the sister picking out threads._

"_Of their trials and tribulations; their glories and falls." Agreed the sister at the spindle._

_Harry had to step back to see what the tapestry already told. The colors wove in and out, each thread not quite the same, but all adding to the overall picture. Before he could try and make out the story being told, the sister at the loom spoke up._

"_It is unwise to worry at the loom, Harry. Many have been caught up, and have wasted away trying to read what has already been written."_

_Harry obediently stepped forward again and his eyes caught sight of a brilliant golden thread that had started not too long ago. He noticed that the thread hadn't moved much since it's beginning, as if the sister hadn't quite decided where it would go yet._

"_That golden thread, why isn't it being worked on? It's a beautiful thread." Harry asked._

_From her place choosing the threads, the medium-haired sister spoke up with a small smile. "Yes, it is a beautiful thread. But try as we might, even we cannot predict where that thread will go."_

_Harry frowned. "Why have you brought me here?"_

_All three sisters turned to look at him, smiling knowingly at him._

Harry woke up with a frown on his face. Such a weird dream… Harry shook his head. Reaching out for his bed table, Harry wrote down as much as he could remember in a notebook he always kept by his bed.

"Honestly, he'd better wake up soon, or else! I mean, I know he basically just kicked some major arse, and he's the… bloody hell Hermione, what'd I do?" Harry smirked at Ron's exclamation, and silently climbed out of his bed. He changed into his Animagus form, and slipped into a shadow, the better to remain undetected by his friends.

Harry watched with amusement as Ron rubbed his arm and Hermione glared at him. "Watch your language, Ron! Besides, we don't know when Harry will wake up. He did use an awful lot of powerful magic today, so he's probably exhausted."

Remus nodded. "I'd imagine so. Did anyone even know that last spell Harry used?"

"I did! Oh Moony, pick me, pick me!" Harry made his appearance right behind Hermione. She shrieked, jumped about a foot in the air, and ran to Ron. Ginny squeaked, and both Remus and Ron gave little shouts of surprise. Harry looked at them all innocently. "What?"

* * *

Severus Snape, safe in his private rooms, far from prying eyes, smiled. For the first time in fifteen years, he felt something akin to hope. If Harry Potter could find a spell to totally destroy Dementors, then finding a way to beat the Dark Lord wouldn't be that much harder. 

Realizing his own thoughts, he went to slump in his chair, and held his head in his hands. "What's wrong with me?" the Potions Professor muttered to himself. "Since when did I start not hating James Potter's son?"

He went into a brief argument with himself, one side of him insisting that Harry Potter was a stuck-up, arrogant little brat, while another reminded him of how Harry had saved his life, and gave him the Animagus potion for free. At that thought, Snape's head shot up. "That cheeky little bugger! He gave me that potion to insure he would be in NEWT Potions!" He murmured in amazement.

Severus Snape couldn't help but laugh. He was alive, Voldemort was pissed, and Harry Potter should've been a Slytherin.

* * *

Headmaster Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thoughts. How could anyone, even Harry Potter, destroy Dementors? Even in all his one-hundred and fifty some odd years, he had never come across any spell that would do what Harry had done. It had to have been a new spell, but the Professor knew it wasn't possible. It took years and years of research for a new spell to be invented and tested. Goodness knows Dumbledore had made three in all his years that were useful, and none with that amount of power. 

So what in the world had Harry done to destroy the Dementors?

* * *

"All right, all right, I'll tell you! Hermione, please put your wand away. I would rather have every part of my body still intact." Harry pleaded his hands up as if to protect him from Hermione's wrath. 

Hermione growled at him. Harry knew he had never seen her this angry before. "You'd better, Harry, because I know some very interesting hexes that I would love to test out."

Harry gestured to the Common Room, and Hermione reluctantly took a seat. "Okay, not too long ago, I was looking up this book about Spell craft. It had some very interesting concepts, and I was going to use what I learned to make a spell. I still have it planned, but I had to put it aside when I got Voldemort's vision."

The rest of the Marauders looked confused. "Huh?" Ron asked.

Harry grinned. "I was in the process of making a spell before I got the vision about the attack. When the vision came, I had to put aside the spell I had been making, and try to come up with a new one that would help us. I knew I didn't have enough time to create a brand new spell, so instead I had to use what I learned a bit differently."

"Harry, please just go ahead and tell us, before Hermione goes on a rampage." Ginny grinned at him. In reply, Harry winked at her, and smiled.

"I guess what you could say is I wove two spells together to make one, for the sole purpose of defeating the Dementors. My first try worked pretty good, didn't it?" Harry had a devilish smirk on his face.

Remus leaned back in his chair, flabbergasted. "You mean to tell me what you did earlier today was the first time you had ever tested the spell!" He almost shouted.

"No, of course not, what do you take me for, an idiot?" Harry replied back calmly. As he watched the faces around him relax, he bit back the smile that was fighting to appear. "That was just the first time I had tested it in a real situation."

Harry decided that now would be a good time to make a run for it, seeing the murderous expressions on his friends' faces.

* * *

"_Fawkes, why are they so mad at Harry?_" Hedwig asked, watching the other humans chase Harry around. 

Fawkes chuckled. "_Because the spell Harry used wasn't fully tested and perfected yet, and could have unsouled them all._" He replied, watching as first Harry, then Ginny, Ron, and Hermione transformed into their Animagus forms.

If Hedwig could have frowned, she would have. "_But it's my Harry. He's always better at performing spells when either he or his friends are in trouble. And he would never have used the spell if he wasn't sure it would work. We know that._"

"_Yes, we do, but they don't. They're humans, Hedwig._" Fawkes told the owl, as if it explained everything. For the most part, it did.

So the two avians watched, as the chase led to a wrestling match. Even outnumbered three to one, Harry was winning. Of course, the birds didn't expect anything less of their master and friend.

* * *

Eventually, the Marauders calmed down, and made their way back to the common room. Harry apologized for not testing his spell more thoroughly, but he explained he didn't have enough time. He had diagrammed the spell work, and knew in theory it would do as it was supposed to. His friends promised a slow and painful death if he ever did such a thing again. Inwardly, Harry promised himself that he would never actually _tell_ them if he had a repeat of the event. 

"So, Harry, tell me more about this Spell… weaving?" Hermione looked at Harry eagerly, her face lit up with anticipation.

Her words struck a chord in Harry's mind, and his thoughts hurdled back to the dream he had had just moments ago. "Hermione… I'll tell you later. Right now, I need your help. I had a weird dream just before I woke up, and I think you'll be able to help me."

Ron looked concerned. "Did… was the Dark Queen involved?" The redhead couldn't totally stop the corners of his lips from turning upwards.

Harry smiled at him brilliantly. "No, the Dark Queen wasn't involved, but I have this feeling that it's real important."

He settled down, and started to tell his friends about his dream.

* * *

"_CRUCIO_!" 

The recipient of the curse from Voldemort's wand screamed as he dropped to the floor, writhing in intense pain. Voldemort, also known as the Dark Queen to five people currently living in the Chamber of Secrets, although he did not know it, was not happy with the way his plans had failed spectacularly. In one afternoon, two hundred Dementors had been destroyed, something once thought impossible, and fifty of his Death Eaters were missing. The poor fool currently screaming in pain on the floor had been the latest to deliver a status report that said there was no change.

Voldemort lifted the curse, and looked around at the nearly empty room. A few members of his Inner Circle were here, those he thought too valuable to waste on an easy attack such as the one the raid on Diagon Alley was supposed to be. The rest were part of the missing, and many of the new recruits were with their leaders, wherever they were.

Not having taken anger management classes, Voldemort couldn't (or wouldn't)control his temper, and burst out in a full-fledged, cuss-word-ridden rant. Some of the newer followers stared in awe as Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, and the most feared wizard of all Britain, second only to Albus Dumbledore, cussed like the proverbial sailor. Those caught staring too openly were subjected to some of the anger-laden Dark Lord's more magically inclined curses.

"…and how the hell did we end up losing over two hundred Dementors! There is no fucking way that anyone could have destroyed even one Dementor, much less two hundred! There is no fucking spell that can do that!" Voldemort continued his rant. He paused, briefly, and caught his breath. Then he looked around, and smiled sinisterly. "Would any of you pieces of shit like to explain how the hell that was possible?" He inquired evilly.

Silence reigned, as his followers looked nervously at each other. It was only broken when the doors to the room banged open, and a Death Eater hurried into the room, throwing himself at Voldemort's feet, and kissing the hem of the Dark Lord's robes.

Voldemort almost cursed the man for interrupting, but he knew who it was, and that alone stayed his hands. Severus Snape had been thought a spy for Dumbledore, until the test that Voldemort had devised told him opposite. That meant he was as loyal as the Potions master claimed he was. This was good, because he was actually capable of intelligent thought, a trait which seemed to be sorely lacking among the Death Eater ranks.

"Severus, what a… surprise." Lord Voldemort hissed, his voice hinting at his displeasure. "What urgent news do you bring me?"

"Forgive me, my Lord, for interrupting. Dumbledore would have been suspicious if I had left his meeting too early." Severus Snape kept his head bowed, his Occlumency shields up at full force. "I came as soon as I could. My Lord, Dumbledore was not behind what happened at Diagon Alley."

Voldemort inhaled sharply. "Indeed? This is interesting. If not Dumbledore, than who did it?"

Severus lifted his head up a little, and fought down the smirk that threatened to rise as well. He still wouldn't look Voldemort in his eyes. "Harry Potter, or so Dumbledore and his little group say." Severus knew that Voldemort would be pissed off beyond belief at that, but it might provide good entertainment for him, as long as he weren't punished. A few hours after the failed attack, Dumbledore had asked that he go and tell what he was saying to Voldemort. The Headmaster hoped that it would bring favor on Severus, and his life would be safe. After a discreet owl to Harry, confirming it was okay; Severus donned a fresh set of Death Eater robes, and went away.

Silence once again filled the throne room where Voldemort held his meetings. The Dark Lord froze on his throne. "Is that so, Severus? You have done well to inform me of this. You may leave. Be prepared to except a parcel in the next few days." Voldemort's voice hissed softly. This news told the Dark Lord two important things; first, Severus could be trusted, and second, Harry did not trust Dumbledore enough to get him involved.

Severus sighed with relief inwardly. "Yes, My Lord. Thank you, my Lord." He bowed and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes once more, and backed himself out of the room. Once the door was shut behind him, he made his way to a special room that was charmed to show what was happening in the throne room.

For the next hour, Severus Snape thoroughly enjoyed seeing Voldemort totally lose his temper.

* * *

The Common Room was silent as Harry finished telling his friends about his dream. Ron looked clueless, Ginny confused, and Remus thoughtful. Hermione, however, looked as if her brain was working overtime to solve this latest riddle. 

"Harry," Hermione began, "Are you sure this isn't a… a You-Know-Who inspired dream?" She asked, as if slowly testing out the words before she said them.

The raven-haired team looked at her, frowning. "I know what those dreams are like, Hermione. This wasn't one of them. Come to think of it, in the vision I had about Voldemort's attack plans, it didn't feel like it either. The Beast Council, I think, helped sort all that stuff out."

Harry could almost see the gears clicking and whirring in Hermione's head. Remus took the silence as Hermione thought to his advantage.

"Well, I don't know about you, but the three girls in your dream sound like they could represent the Three Fates." Remus spoke up.

Hermione lit up, and Harry nodded slowly. "It does fit… but aren't they supposed to be old, or share a single eye, or something?" Harry asked.

Before the conversation could go any further, Ginny butted in. "Um, excuse me, but could someone explain for the two of us ignorant pure-bloods?"

Harry grinned at her, as did Hermione and Remus. Ron frowned at his sister, who just stuck her tongue back.

"The Three Fates are a part of Greek Mythology. They were somewhat minor goddesses, who made the decisions on who was to live, for how long, and who was to die." Remus explained. "Typically, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos were old hags, who all shared a single eye. Human life was represented as threads of yarn, which the Fates were in charge of."

Harry's head snapped up, and his eyes widened. "Of course! The gold thread was me!" When his friends looked at him questioningly, Harry held out his hands and concentrated. In a few seconds, his hands glowed a brilliant gold. "My magical signature is golden. The Three Fates were telling me that I have to weave myself into the Tapestry of Man."

The Marauders were silent about this, pondering Harry's words. Then, something occurred to Hermione. "Harry… In everything I've read about the Three Fates, there's nothing mentioned about a tapestry, much less the Tapestry of Man." She said hesitatingly, making sure that what she was saying was as she remembered.

They watched as the raven-haired teen paced back and forth, looking at his still glowing hands. "Then I guess that means that there's another player in this game." Harry said in a low voice, so low that it was only thanks to his friends' Animagus/werewolf enhanced hearing that they heard him at all.

* * *

"Why in the world did we send him that dream, Lace? Remind us again, please." 

"Lace" frowned at her two sisters. "He needed to realize what was ahead, and you know it, Clo."

Clo sighed. "Yeah, he did, but are you sure he can figure it out in time? The last time we warned ahead of time, he misinterpreted, and ended up burning Rome. Which was exactly what we warned him against doing, sis."

The third sister looked up and spoke softly. "Clo, Lace, be patient. It will not be like that with Harry. For one, he is smarter, and two, he has smart friends. They will figure it out."

The three sisters were silent, as they concentrated on their jobs. For a few moments, the only sound in the room was the steady whirr of the spinning wheel, the click-clacking of the loom, and the occasional snip of a pair of scissors.

"I think we were too vague." Lace finally spoke up. "May we send another dream, Ros?"

Ros carefully snipped another thread, and sighed. She knew she would get no peace unless they sent another dream to Harry. "What do you think, Clo?"

Clo shrugged her shoulders, even as her fingers nimbly spun a thread together. "Fine with me, as long as someone else gets him."

Lace looked eager. "I'll go! How about tonight, Ros?"

Ros rolled her eyes. "Sure Lace, tonight."

* * *

Before Hermione or Remus could think more on what Harry had said, Ginny realized that they had forgotten something very important. 

"By the way Harry, Happy Birthday!" She said cheerfully.

Harry looked startled. "My birthday… is it really?" A quick wave of his hand, and he stared at the undeniable date in front of him. _July 31st_ floated in the air in front of Harry in gold, glowing letters and numbers. "Well… I guess I lost track of time…"

Ron snorted. "Gee, I wonder why? Between planning out an attack against Death Eaters and actually kicking their ar… er, tails," He amended at Hermione's glare, and then continued. "I'm not going to blame you for forgetting."

Harry grinned at his friend. "Thanks, Ron."

In the moments that followed, with well-wishes all around and a few presents, Harry left his worries about the Three Fates in the back of his mind.

* * *

That night, however, it all came flooding back to him as his dream-self, seven years old, looked at tall grass stems in a seemingly endless field. 

"_C'mon, Harry! You have to see this!"_

_Harry saw that there were a few things different this time. First, the girl in front of him had medium-hair, not short hair. Her face was also different… not by much, but enough so that Harry could tell that this wasn't the same girl as before. He also didn't go running off immediately._

"_Which one are you? Clotho? Lachesis? Atropos? Why have you brought me here?" Harry demanded, standing firm. In front of him, the girl's hair swung as she pivoted around, her face somewhat… pleased._

_She smiled at him. "Ah, so you did figure out who we were. If you follow me, I'll answer those questions." She turned back around, and started running._

_Harry was left no choice but to run after her. When he got to the room in the middle of no where, he saw the other two sisters working, the girl from before spinning the thread, and the long haired sister putting the thread in the loom, occasionally cutting a thread from the design._

"_Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, I presume?" Harry asked pleasantly, before any of the sisters could speak. The one who had led him winced as she made her way to the loom._

"_Actually, we go by Clo, Lace, and Ros right now. I'm Lace, the one working the spindle is Clo, and Ros is doing the snipping." Lace grinned at him over her shoulder, before turning back to the loom._

_Harry was silent for a moment. "Clo, Lace and Ros. Got it. Now what in the blazes am I doing here?"_

_Ros smiled wryly. "We've come to help you. Dark times are ahead, Harry Potter, and you need to be prepared." She gestured to the middle of the loom. Harry's eyes were drawn to where she waved her hand, and noticed a few differences from last night's dream._

_The gold thread, which Harry was sure was him, looked as if it was surrounded by dark, somehow threatening threads. Four threads seemed to be accompanying the golden thread, one orange, one fire-red, one light brown, and the last tarnished silver. Harry realized who these were, and smiled. Then he looked closer. "Let me guess. That pure, black, so dark it almost looks as if it's devouring light thread is Voldemort?"_

_Clo nodded. "Very good, Harry. We don't have much more time, so you must heed our warnings carefully."_

_Lace continued. "The time is coming when you will need to make an important choice. Choose wisely, for what is done cannot become undone. The right path is not always the straightest, and the wrong is not always shrouded in the dark. I can only say this; trust in yourself and your abilities so you may know what the right path is."_

_Before Harry could question, Ros spoke up. "You will be just fine, Harry. Just remember our words. One last thing before you awaken. Trust in your friends as well, Harry. I will not lie and say that everything will be all right, but it will be as well as it can be. Further your abilities, both talents and gifts, so that you may choose wisely."_

_The three sisters smiled at him, and Harry felt himself drifting away._

Harry swore as he jerked up, breathing heavily and sweating. What in the world did that all mean? He supposed that in the morning, Hermione could help him figure it out, but it was still night. He knew he couldn't get back to sleep so he put on his slippers and quietly exited the room, needing to think.

* * *

Ginny sighed, and finally decided to give up the fight for sleep. Ever since she woke up from a nightmare, she couldn't get back to sleep. She wasn't too sure about what was so scary about the nightmare, or any details, but she knew it was scary. 

Once out of bed and into her slippers, she shuffled out of the girls' room, making sure she didn't wake Hermione. Ginny closed the door quietly, and turned around. What she saw made her glad she couldn't go to sleep.

Her eyes widened as she saw Harry doing… something that looked vaguely like martial arts, and with a staff. Ginny was sure it was called a kata, or something like that. What made Harry's almost dance-like moves even better, at least to Ginny, was that he was currently shirtless.

She could only watch in awe as his arms and legs moved effortlessly with the staff, each move seemingly overflowing with power. Ginny had a feeling that if he used those against a person, it would send the poor victim flying. And the hit would probably cause a nice big bruise. His face was serene, his eyes closed, and his breathing steady. Each movement he made seemed to flow into the next.

"So, do you like what you see?" Harry's voice made Ginny jump in shock. She hadn't realized he knew she was there. Thankful for the dark, Ginny blushed furiously. She blamed it on teenage hormones.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just that I couldn't sleep, and that was so cool…" Ginny forcefully stopped her babbling. She also ignored the butterflies that were rapidly filling her stomach at the sight of his grin, accompanied with his sweaty, naked torso. _Down, girl!_ She thought furiously to herself.

Harry was amused. "That's okay. I couldn't sleep either." He reassured her.

"Um… do you mind if I ask why you couldn't sleep?" Ginny asked hesitatingly.

A brief war flickered across Harry's features, and he sighed. "Another dream from the Fates. It confused the hell out of me, and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I might as well work out."

Ginny smiled shyly at him. "I had a nightmare. Don't remember what it was about, but I know it was scary."

Harry returned her smile, a hint of empathy on his face. "Ah, I remember those days. When the nightmares were so scary that you woke up screaming and you didn't know what it was about. I wish I could go back to these days…" His smile turned slightly sad.

Ginny understood. "Now that you know what nightmares are made of, it's harder to forget," she agreed softly.

They stood still for a moment, both lost in memories. After a few minutes, Harry sighed. "Well, we're not going to get back to sleep any time soon. Want some tea? I know a very enthusiastic house elf who would love to be called this early in the morning to bring us some." He grinned at her.

Ginny grinned back. "That sounds wonderful."

They talked for a long time over several cups of tea, trying to keep their minds off the nightmares they knew to be real.

* * *

AN: Well, it's certainly been a while! How is everyone? Good Christmas, other holidays that I'm too lazy to type out, New Years? Everything's getting better on this side of the computer screen. For those of you who are wondering what all happened with the jerk that stood me up at my senior Homecoming, I saw him today, cussed him out, and was going to slap the crap (hey that rhymed!) out of him, but I realized that I couldn't bear to see his face without nausea rising up in me, and if I touched him, even through a slap, that nausea would probably go up and out. Which would be fitting for him, but I don't like yawning in technicolor (I like that phase better than vomiting...), so I decided not to. Instead I walked out on him. Made me feel kinda at peace, and I'm going to get on with my life. Dual Credit English is... okay, love the reading, not loving the "analyze the reading" part. Oh well. C'est la vie, mon amies. 

Just to let you know, my Muse is actually providing me with a good idea of what I want the next chapter to be like, so I might get it up earlier. Don't count on it, because Murphy has it out for me.

I look forward to your questions! (Hopefully I answered a few of yours with this chappie.) 'Til next we meet! (TNWM from now on)

Ceres K.


	20. Loss of Control

Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize, and probably some that you don't. The plot, however, is mine.

(A/N: Le gasp! It's actually a week and a day before the two-month mark since I last updated! Aren't you proud of me? Anywho, read the chappie, which, from the reviews, I guess you want. Then I'll talk about what's happened since, etc, etc. Happy reading!)

Chapter 19: Loss of Control

Two weeks later, their research was still turning up dull. Ron argued it had always been dull, but at Hermione's glare and the frequent slapping of his head, he stayed silent. The way he looked at all the books Harry had brought in indicated that he thought that the books would look better soaked in kerosene and dropped into a salamander's nest. Sometimes, Harry agreed with him. Silently, of course.

Hermione, in addition to badgering the whole group about the research they were doing on mythology, had brow-beaten Harry into teaching her what exactly he had done with Spell weaving. It had taken a few days for Harry to learn how to explain it right, and another few before Hermione grasped the concept. When she had asked, frustrated beyond belief how he had gotten it so easily, Harry supposed that the Beast Council's gifts had something to do with how he had learned so fast. Not one to be daunted with lack of unhuman understanding, Hermione abandoned Harry and went to the books, trying to figure out how do successfully weave spells together.

All the wands that had been collected in Diagon Alley from the DA members were sent back via owl, as no official action had been taken against any of them for using underage magic. The Ministry of Magic, some of their owls informed Harry and thus the whole group, was still trying to figure out how the Dementors had gotten out of control, and how they got destroyed. The Ministry-controlled newspaper, the Daily Prophet, refused to believe that Voldemort was at full strength (the sighting at the Ministry of Magic was told as giving proof that Voldemort was alive, but after a duel with Albus Dumbledore _and_ Harry Potter, the Dark Lord was supposed to be terribly weakened), and told their readers that some illness had overtaken the Dementors, but not to worry, because the Ministry had everything under control again. The death of about two-hundred Dementors was not remarked upon.

The Death Eaters caught in the Magi-Ball were questioned by Harry late at night in a side-tunnel with Veritaserum. They were brought out, one at a time, force-fed the truth serum, and awakened. Under Harry's piercing gaze and his well thought-out questions, they sang like songbirds, and gave Harry Gringott's account numbers, Death Eater plans, and in one case, the revelation that they still slept with a teddy bear. Harry carefully recorded everything, and made plans in his mind.

Once the potion wore off, they were in worse trouble. Harry had changed both physically and mentally over the summer, and used that to his advantage. He'd had to break at least the index finger in every Death Eater before they willingly signed a declaration that they were Death Eaters, joined willingly and not under any curse or duress, and accounted for their crimes. The newer recruits gave in easily, although they did not have much to account for, and for their cooperation, Harry healed their broken bones. Some of the Death Eaters, however, were not so quick to succumb to pain. The farthest Harry had gone was breaking every single bone in one Death Eater's arm, and he had been starting his way down the other arm before the Death Eater gave in.

Afterwards, Harry was sickened by what he had done, but knew that he couldn't let any of them just walk away under the corrupt administration within the ministry. The thought that innocent lives were going to be saved due to his actions didn't stop him from throwing up after every "interview," sick to the stomach by what he was doing. But he didn't let the Death Eaters know that, for by the next prisoner; Harry had regained his composure, and let his face slip into an icy-cold expression. The indifferent look Harry plastered on his face as he was breaking bones was at odds with the churning in his stomach.

By two weeks after Harry's birthday and the Death Eater attack, each one of the involved Death Eaters had been Obliviated by Harry, and transported out, only to reappear near magical public places with their declarations signed in blood, signifying that everything in the declaration was the truth. With their own blood, they were condemned, and since Fudge wanted his office, he couldn't let something like this slip by. Each Death Eater was given a lifetime sentence in Azkaban by Fudge, despite the concerns that the wizarding prison wasn't as safe anymore. Harry knew that soon, Voldemort would break them out, and the cycle would start over again.

* * *

"Found anything yet, Harry?" 

Harry barely repressed his sigh of aggravation. "No, Hermione, I haven't, not in the last five minutes since you asked." From their seats in the Common Room, the other three Marauders looked up, surprised. For the past three days, Hermione had been on a studying rampage. Preferring not to listen to her rants, the others had grudgingly followed along. Until now.

His tone made Hermione bristle. "And what exactly does that mean, Harry?" Her eyes narrowed.

She and the others were surprised when the normally calm-natured Harry stood up, and slammed his book on mythology on the table. "That is quite enough, Hermione." His quiet voice sent chills down all of their spines. "I have put up with you for three days. The only reason I'm reading this damn book is because it is preferable to listening to you ranting at me."

Ignoring her gasp of surprise, Harry continued. He knew he was being hateful, but something inside him had snapped. He suspected the wolf in him was seeing another trying to take his place as Alpha, and he couldn't allow that to happen. "You will stand down. If the others wish to research, they may do so, but you do not have the right to force them."

Ron was about to interfere, when his inner fox shut him up. Then he realized that he was seeing the Alpha male instinct emerge in Harry, and the fox inside him knew he was no one to challenge his Alpha's authority.

Ginny sat quietly, guessing what was happening. She also knew that she was not one to try and usurp authority over Harry. The only one who could was Remus, and she knew that he too, realized he was no Alpha. She shifted in her seat, wondering why her form was so restless.

Moony knew that although he could be Alpha, his time was gone and past. He was content just being a member of a Pack again, and the werewolf in him knew that Harry was his Alpha.

"How dare you…" Hermione hissed like an angry cat.

"I dare because I am Alpha, cat! You are not, and it's about damn time you realized that little tidbit of information!" Harry growled menacingly. He was quite unaware that his eyes were starting to glow, and his teeth were beginning to sharpen and grow.

Hermione could only stand a few seconds of Harry's intense glare before hissing at him and retreating to her room. The other Marauders watched silently as Harry stared after her for a second, before marching out of the Chamber, into the tunnels that he had forbidden the rest of them. After that particular stunt, no one felt quite up to disobeying his orders.

"Well…" Ron started, breaking the silence. "That was interesting." Remus and Ginny nodded in agreement.

Ginny couldn't help but stare off in the direction that Harry had taken. Why, she wondered, did both she and Ethiopian Wolf within find that display, for lack of a better word, hot? And since when was the Chamber so warm?

* * *

"_Fawkes, what is happening?_" Hedwig asked, shocked at the scene she had just witnessed. "_Why was Harry so mean? That is quite unlike him._" 

The Phoenix sighed. "_Hedwig, do you not see? Use more than your eyes._" Fawkes advised.

The white owl's eyes widened as she realized what was going on. "_You mean it's…_"

Fawkes nodded. "_Yes. It is normal for Animagi to have a brief episode where they act like their forms while they're still human, but because of the time period…_" Fawkes trailed off, glancing meaningfully at his companion.

Hedwig sighed. "_I'm guessing we're not going to tell the master?_"

"_Hedwig, Hedwig, Hedwig,_" Fawkes chided gently, although his eyes were sparkling. "_Now where is the fun in that? Let them figure it out for themselves. I think this whole argument has been brewing for quite a while, and the upcoming events will allow them to get this whole thing off their chests, so to speak._"

"_I fail to see the things you speak of on their chests. Their clothes are relatively clean, and I can't see any unusual bulges protruding from their shirts._"

Fawkes just laughed, and started teaching Hedwig the meaning behind some of the more common idioms.

* * *

The next few days were fraught with tension. Hermione generally ignored Harry, except for the few occasions when she hissed and growled at him. During those times, Harry simply lifted his lips in a snarl that made Hermione quiet down. 

Ron tried to convince both of them to stop fighting, but Hermione merely hissed and spat at him, and Harry told him in no uncertain terms to stay out of it. Eventually, Ron gave up, and joined Moony, who had resigned himself to watching the small feud going on between the two.

Ginny also stayed out of it, too concerned about her own problems. Lately she had found that her temperature was high most of the time, but she didn't have any of the usual cold symptoms. In fact, she felt perfectly fine, except for the occasional itch. Thinking that this was not perhaps the best time to bring up her possible sickness, Ginny stayed silent, and watched Harry. The past few days, Ginny had found herself more often than not staring at Harry. Once he caught her at it, and held her gaze for a few seconds before she looked away.

Hermione was stubborn, but knew that sooner or later, she had to realize Harry was right. She had been a little too demanding of her friends, and Harry was Alpha. Even her inner-kneazle knew that. Her inner-kneazle had also been panicking lately, sensing that she was surrounded by canines and their relatives. It was not good for her nerves. Her frazzled nerves resulted in her study craze and the subsequent argument. But right now, Hermione wasn't in the mood to admit she had been wrong.

Harry was sure he was slowly going crazy. His wolf senses had lately picked up a scent so divine it had wreaked havoc in his brain. Every time he decided to apologize to Hermione for his harsh words, the Alpha within rose up in defense, and the scent came to his nose again. This reduced his humanity a little bit due to the ensuing chaos within his body, and let his wolf out a little more.

Fawkes and Hedwig watched it all with great amusement. Or, they did, until Hermione gave into her cat instincts and caught Hedwig. It was only due to Fawkes' intervention that the poor owl wasn't eaten. After that, they waited eagerly for the day the Marauders were back to normal.

* * *

The next day found them all, except for Remus, in their Animagus forms. Shadowfang generally paced throughout the chamber, and when Dots hissed and spat at him, he growled back. Swiftpaw found that he loved being petted, and since there was only one left in the Chamber who had fingers to do that, he sat curled up in Remus' lap, watching the interaction between wolf and kneazle. Remus discovered that Swiftpaw's fur was quite soft, and petting the fox was a great way to occupy his mind. Firefur made it a habit of watching Shadowfang, occasionally looking around the chamber, and ignoring the itch-turned-ache that seemed to spread throughout her body. It didn't hurt, but it was uncomfortable. 

Shadowfang was going crazy. The scent from before was, if possible, even stronger and more desirable, and was absolutely everywhere. He had tried to find somewhere where the scent wasn't, but it was futile, and he ended his search after the realization that he didn't _want_ to get away from the scent. For all that it was driving him insane, it had become addicting, to where he didn't think he could imagine not liking it.

* * *

That night, Shadowfang was looking over his territory, when his senses twitched. That damned addicting scent was coming closer, as was that enchanting somewhat-wolf. It clicked in his wolf brain that the she-semi-wolf was the source for the scent that had been driving him crazy for the past few days. 

Shade looked up, and felt a heat creep up in his belly. Although the female in front of him was not fully wolf, she looked… delicious. >How may I help you, my lady?>

The female laughed alluringly at him, gently flicking her tail back and forth. >You may call me Firefur, my dear Alpha.>

A wolfy grin spread on the Alpha's face. >Well then, Lady Firefur, what can I do for you?>

Firefur gave the Alpha a smile that caused blood flow problems within the male. Shade could only stand still as she walked slowly around him, making sure he could smell her. His sensory input was overloading, and Shade was quickly loosing reason.

>I have an…> Here she paused, and the corners of her mouth went up, causing Shade to take a deep breath. >…itch… that I think you can help me with. You can help me with it, can't you?> Shade had troubles breathing as Firefur ended her circling so that her tail was brushing his nose and her scent was the strongest. The sultry tone she was using didn't help either.

Shade, somewhere in his subconscious mind, knew he was fighting a loosing battle. So, he gave up. >I… I believe I can, Lady Firefur. Such a… beautiful and delicious lady like yourself should not have to suffer such inconveniences.>

He let his Alphaness shine through as this time he circled the female, who lay down on the ground, panting and quivering. Shade grinned. >Ah, so this is your first heat, isn't it? Should I be honored you chose me?>

Firefur hadn't expected to have her own game turned on her. >You… you are Alpha… would not… go to other… please…> She managed between gasps as the heat inside her became too much for her to handle. She supposed that his near proximity had set her off. Although it wasn't a bad thing… for some deep reason, she liked everything that was happening to her.

>Very well, then.> Shade placed himself behind her, and looked at her tail. It moved almost subconsciously. The wolf licked his lips, feeling something triumphant rise inside him. That feeling led him to bite gently on her neck. She thrashed, and squalled, but Shade held her firmly down with his front paws. He took a moment to savor her sweet scent before he rose up.

Before he could do anything more, two streaks of red light came towards them, and he knew no more.

* * *

Hermione sighed, and lowered her wand. She had broken out of her animalistic trance just seconds before, and was glad she got here in time. If she hadn't stupefied them… she knew that Harry would've carried it around with him the rest of his life, and his and Ginny's friendship would probably be severely strained, if not broken. As it was, they would have a hard enough time repairing what had just happened. 

"Good work, Dots. How did you know?" Moony came up beside his student, holding a sleeping Swiftpaw, and gently set the fox down.

Dots smiled. "When I was a kneazle, I was freaked out because I smelt a strong Alpha wolf, and the scent of a semi-wolf in heat. It didn't take that long after I woke up from my animal state to figure out which was which."

Moony sighed, looking at the pair of wolves a few feet away. "I remember a somewhat similar incident shortly after the original Marauders became Animagi. A few days before a weekend, they acted… differently. Padfoot… he acted a lot more playful, and growled when someone he didn't like came near him. Prongs seemed more majestic, and he pranced around a lot. As I recall, that was the weekend when Lily declared that she would rather date the giant squid than him." He smiled at Hermione's giggle, and both knew that he wasn't going to mention the last of their group, the now ex-Marauder.

"That weekend, they spent it all as animals, and didn't act a bit human at all. Later, they told me that a few weeks after an Animagus transforms for the first time, there comes a point when the Animagus is taken over by their forms. James mentioned something about how it was the most dangerous part about being an Animagus, because there's no telling what will happen when you lose control. The good thing is, the loss of control lasts only a few days."

Hermione and Remus were silent a bit, and both looked at the stupefied wolves lost in thought. "I only hope that we'll all be alright after this." Hermione said softly. Remus put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, and they said no more.

* * *

The day after would later be described by Ron as complete and total chaos. Upon the young Animagi's reinstation of control, Ron tried to murder Harry for what he had almost done to Ginny. Ginny, completely and totally embarrassed by her behavior, ran to the girls' room and wouldn't come out. Hermione restrained Ron from killing Harry, and proceeded to lecture Ron on how horrible it was to kill your best friend for something he wasn't completely responsible for. Remus sighed and broke the impending argument between Hermione and Ron up, and failed to coax Ginny from her hiding spot. 

Harry… as soon as he woke up, he rushed into a side tunnel from the Main Chamber, and locked himself out. He couldn't face anyone as the knowledge of what he had been so close to doing overwhelmed him with guilt and embarrassment.

To chase away his thoughts, he threw himself into training, pushing his limits to exhaust his body and mind. But still, as he punched and slashed his imaginary opponent, he couldn't stop thinking about how he had almost raped Ginny.

* * *

Ginny shivered as she pulled her covers closer to her body. She buried her face in her pillow as she recalled every moment she experienced in Firefur. The incredible heat and the uncomfortable itching... The uncontrollable desire to… well… it was better not to rile herself up again. What scared her most was that she had begged for it, and that she relished the lack of control that had made her so bold. 

Worst of all… she still wanted Harry. Even though she would probably never talk to him again due to embarrassment, she wanted him to finish what she had started. Ginny knew that she had had a major crush on him for most of her life, but after last year, she had given up on him even noticing her. Now… it was all different.

Ginny shivered again and pulled her covers tightly around her, trying to regain the heat that she had felt once before.

* * *

"_Why is Master so upset? He was just doing what the fire-female asked of him._" Hedwig asked the Phoenix beside her on their favorite perch. 

Fawkes sighed. "_I'm not sure if you know this, Hedwig, but humans are able to mate year round. But sometimes they don't want to mate before they have been involved in a complex human ceremony called marriage, where a couple is officially recognized as being mated to the other._"

Hedwig shot an annoyed glare at Fawkes. "_I know all that, Fawkes. I'm just curious as to why all the humans think it was so wrong of Master to try to mate with the fire-female._"

"_In the human world, if a girl is forced to mate, it is called rape. It… stains the honor of both involved. Humans view rape as a horrible crime._"

Hedwig looked horrified. "_You mean Master would have been in trouble?_"

Fawkes nodded. "_That would be an understatement. He'd be even more so because it is against the law to be an unregistered Animagi._"

The avians took a second to think about their Master being in that much trouble. Inwardly, Hedwig acknowledged the fact that it was good that the kneazle-girl had stopped her Master from getting into trouble. One thing still bothered her.

"_Fawkes, why was the fire-female in heat and not the kneazle-girl at the same time?_"

The Phoenix looked at the owl incredulously. "_You mean you don't know?_"

Hedwig ruffled her wings, annoyed. "_If I knew, would I be asking? I knew that the fire-female was in heat, but I don't understand why the kneazle-girl wasn't. Since the kneazle-girl is older, shouldn't she have been in heat too?_"

Fawkes, being a male, really didn't want to talk about it. But, because Hedwig was still a bit ignorant of the human world, he forged on. "_It's because it's Ginny's, or the fire-female as you call her, special time. Her body is young, yes, but if she mates she can produce young. I'd rather not delve into the mysteries of femininity, but let's just say that the human females go through a week each month of something very similar to an owl when the mating season is passed and she did not have any eggs._"

Hedwig took a moment to process this information. "_But I didn't see the fire-female dance the Dance of No-Eggs, or sing the Song of Spring._" She stated, confused.

Fawkes twitched.

* * *

There's your chappie! Didja like it? I know that there were some... somewhat explicit content in there, but if you're reading this, I trust that you at least hold some degree of maturity. Kudos to those who guessed before I said it that Ginny was in heat. Note: I'm not an animal expert, so please don't hold me think me as such. 

So, how've y'all been? Over here it's been a hectic one month, two weeks, and six days. First, you know that Dual Credit class I told y'all about? Yeah, my teacher's evil. We just had a midterm over Dracula, Frankenstein, and Jekyll and Hyde. I finished reading all three of them two nights before the final, and the only one I liked was Dracula. It didn't say "Tears made salty trails as they slid down her cheek" instead of "she cried" as it kinda did in Frankenstein and J&H. I recommend that you read the sparks notes for F and J&H, and read Dracula in whole, book form, if you ever need to. Dracula is a good read. Just... if you're easily scared, you might want to read it in the daytime.

Also, I turned 18 on February 28! Whoo! I've yet to do all the things that that age is entitled to (I meant going to a club, silly people ;-) ), but I will. Of course, as I tell my friends,I still act immature. Maturity is to be greatly prized, which is why I don't use it that much, and only bring it out for the most serious of occasions. ;-)

One last thing. SPRING BREAK IS HERE! Yeah, it just started for me. Since I live near a coast, I've been to the beach, and it's great. I mean, a week long of just lazing about? My dad says it's nothing new for me, and I stick my tongue out at him. :-P But hey, during SB, it's actually allowed and permissible!

Ok, that's all for now. I'll work on the next chappie some time soon! Please review! It makes me a happy author to see that I'm liked (or not, if that's the case, but I accept that I can't please everyone) and happy authors brainstorm more often. See where I'm going with this? You want me to be a happy author ;-).

Well, see you later! For those on SB; be safe, and don't do anything stupid. TNWM!

Ceres K.


	21. Scary Drunks

Disclaimer: insert standard "I own squat" disclaimer here>

(A/N: Okay, it's finally here! Sorry about the wait... explanations will follow. Just a warning for the chapter ahead. I had fun writing this. I had fun writing the chapter Fowl Play, the one that everyone seems to like. Get it? I hope that my stuff makes you laugh, but if you are the kind who likes to drink or eat anything while reading, and laughs very... out loud, you may want to put your drinks, food, etc. to the side. Thank you for flying Ceres K. Stories! ;-) )

Chapter 20: Scary Drunks

Albus Dumbledore looked sadly at the pile of paperwork in front of him. As much as he wished he could set fire to the lot, some people would be awfully mad at him if he did. He sighed, and started perusing through the many files and forms in front of him, his brain meanwhile miles away.

The next term of Hogwarts would start in a few days, and Dumbledore was most worried about one student in particular. Harry Potter. Even though the teen was hailed as the next hero of the wizarding world, he was still just a teen, and one who happened to be very angry with Dumbledore.

What he could be capable of now, Dumbledore wondered, thinking back to their last meeting. Harry had gotten the drop on all of them when he had Portkeyed in, and had somehow managed to get Fawkes on his side. It still hurt Dumbledore that Fawkes had left him, but he was somewhat consoled with the fact that he had gone to Harry. And when Dumbledore had last seen the, he had radiated power and authority, carrying himself as a natural leader. In such a short time, Harry had started to become everything that Dumbledore had hoped he'd be, with none of his help.

Dumbledore sighed again, and was reaching to ink his quill when there was a sudden flash from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Dumbledore looked at the sight in astonishment.

"_Stop staring and break out the Firewhiskey!_" Fawkes looked, to say the least, haggard.

The Phoenix watched in amusement as Dumbledore positively jumped.

"Fawkes? Was that you? Why are you here?"

"_Yes. Yes. Because you're the only human I know of that has Firewhiskey right on hand. And because I know you, I'll answer the ones you're about to ask. Yes, I've always had this ability to speak mind to mind. I've never shown it to you because then you would be on my case about it all the time. Besides, it's too darn funny to watch you try and interpret what my chirps and body language says._"

Dumbledore slowly stood up, and went to one of the many cabinets in his office. He pulled out a nice bottle of Firewhiskey and two big shot glasses. The shot glasses were filled, and he drank one down, while Fawkes dipped his beak into the other and sipped it all up.

"So… why do you need Firewhiskey so much? And why do you look really close to a Burning Day?"

Fawkes looked at the old man piercingly. Then he gave a heavy sigh, and ruffled his feathers. "_Albus… have you ever had to give a teenager The Talk?_"

Dumbledore's beard twitched. "Did you have to give it to Harry?"

The Phoenix shuddered. "_That's Remus's responsibility. No, much worse._"

"Worse?" Dumbledore asked disbelievingly. "What could be much worse than that?"

"_Giving The Talk to Hedwig, who doesn't understand why humans don't have mating seasons or why they won't lay eggs like sensible folk._"

Five minutes later, Professor Dumbledore was still laughing.

* * *

Ginny woke up, and lay in bed for a moment, wondering why she had woken up in the middle of the night. She sighed, and got out of bed, pulling on her robe. A glass of warm milk, and she'd be back to sleep in no time.

It had been a few days since The Incident, as everyone was calling it. Harry had yet to reappear from where he had taken off. Ron had calmed down, somewhat, since Hermione had explained to him that there wasn't anything Harry could've done. After all, when an Animagus goes through the Controlling, the more powerful the wizard, the deeper the wizards' consciousness was buried inside the animal. And Harry was very powerful indeed.

Ginny rubbed her eyes, and plodded towards the door that led to the Common Room. She opened it, and then stopped, her eyes wide.

There, on the bare Common Room floor, furniture pushed to the side, stood Harry, deep in meditation and training. He wasn't standing on his feet though… he stood on two hands, his body straight in the air, and feet towards the ceiling. On the floor around him were various objects, including books, feathers, and even some pieces of clothing.

As she watched, Harry carefully lifted one hand, and put all his weight on the other. His free arm stood parallel to the floor, and the fingers on that hand twitched. Slowly, all the objects around him started to rise. Ginny watched, fascinated, as they all started moving separately once they got a few feet off the ground. First, all the books started to flip their pages, and still were steady in the air. Then, the many feathers combined to form a small bird, and that bird flew around Harry. After that, the clothing started to fold, and then unfold and combine as if someone were getting dressed.

Ginny couldn't help but gasp as the many objects started to rotate around Harry. It was this gasp that broke Harry's concentration. His eyes snapped open, and subsequently fell down. The objects around him did likewise.

Harry sat up slowly, wincing and rubbing his shoulder, which had been among the first of many of his body parts to hit the ground. His eyes met hers, and he winced again.

"Oh… Hello Ginny."

Ginny's first reaction was to snap at him. He sounded like he had been force-fed lemons. Then, she softened. Harry was, after all, aboy who wasjust a little bit dense.

"Hello, Harry. Have a nice trip?"

Harry gave a grin at that. "Yes, one which you caused, might I add."

"Did not. It's not my fault that your superhero senses are going wonky." Ginny teased.

Harry glared at her, but the effect was ruined by the silly face that he made. It took all of two seconds for them to start laughing.

There was a comfortable silence after the last chuckle. Ginny broke it. "So, any reason you're going… what was the word… Lucky Airtrotter?"

Harry looked confused. Then his mouth twitched. "You mean, Luke Skywalker?"

Ginny winced. "Is that what it was? Damn! So that's why I almost failed Muggle Studies..."

After their laughter had died down, Ginny looked at Harry out of the corner of her eye. "I don't blame you, you know."

Harry stared down at the carpet in front of him. "You should. I know I blame me." He was surprised when his face was slapped, quite hard.

"Then quit it. You were under the influence of some very strong magic, and you can't be held responsible for what the wolf inside you wanted, or what I wanted." Ginny's eyes glared at Harry dangerously.

The raven-haired teen's head shot up, and Ginny was pleased to note that he looked quite shocked. Harry tried to say something, but all that could come out of his mouth were a few terrified squeaks.

Ginny sighed, and knelt down, looking Harry straight in the eyes. "Will you stop blaming yourself now?" She asked gently.

Harry blinked, his mind not quite caught up with what Ginny had said. "You mean… you wanted me to… to jump you and have my wicked way with you, as a wolf?" As his brain processed what he had said, he started to blush.

His blush couldn't compete with Ginny's though; her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. "W-well, not exactly as a wolf, but yes, that's what I wanted you to do." She smirked at Harry's gobsmacked face. Ginny couldn't resist saying just a bit more. "In fact, I think that's the wish of most of the girl population at Hogwarts. Who knows, maybe some of the guys too!"

"_Ginny!_" Harry gasped, scandalized.

Ginny smirked. "It's the truth, Harry. I'll just say that a majority of Hogwarts, and for that matter, the rest of the magic world, thinks you're a fucking hottie. And it's the truth."

Harry shook his head violently. "I-I'm not a 'fucking hottie,' or whatever you said. I'm just a… a normal-looking guy who everybody likes because they want to get close to my fame."

A few seconds later, the echoing crack rang throughout the Chamber as Ginny put all of her strength into the second slap. Harry put his hands up to his face in shock, where he knew a bright red handprint was quickly appearing.

"Do you think I'm a chronic liar?" Ginny glared at Harry's stuttering protest. "No? A moron? An idiot? Am I blind? Do you think I'm not a red-blooded female, or some type of gold-digger, a fame-hunting bimbo?"

Harry mutely shook his head. "Good. Don't you ever say that about me again! I'm not 'everybody,' Harry James Potter! When I say that you're handsome, I mean what I say. I'll admit that yeah, when I was younger I was attracted to your fame. Then I grew up and realized what a great person you are. I like you, Harry Potter, because of who you are, and you would do well to get any other ridiculous notions out of your head right now."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry Ginny. I'm not myself right now. It's just… something is happening to me."

"Like what?" Ginny asked, curiosity replacing her anger.

"I've been given this power," Harry started hesitantly, "And there's so much more I have to discover! I'm… I'm scared of myself, and what I could do to others. My control isn't that great. I mean, look at what I almost did to you."

Ginny softened. "I understand Harry. Tell me when you're ready, will you?" She walked off, a little smile on her face. After five years of watching Harry, she knew what he was trying to say better than he did himself.

Harry watched her go with a confused look on his face. He resigned himself to never understanding the ways of women, especially red-headed Weasley women.

* * *

"So, you have everything?"

Ron sighed. "Yes, Hermione. Harry and I double-checked everything, and even searched under our beds for any of our Merlin action figures!" He said sarcastically.

Hermione grinned. "Not bad, Ron, although the sarcasm could use a bit of work."

"Hey, I'm trying! Besides, I'm obviously not going to win the Sarcasm King trophy." Ron replied, a secretive smile on his face.

"Sarcasm King?What in the world…" Hermione trailed off, an incredulous look on her face.

Ron scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Well, a few nights ago I found the leftover Firewhiskey from the graduation party, and Harry was feeling kind of bummed, so…"

Hermione was silent for a minute. "You and Harry… you got Harry drunk? How could you, Ron? I mean, without me?" After keeping the straight face for a minute, she couldn't help it, and burst out laughing.

Ron looked shocked. "Who-za huh?"

Hermione giggled. "I'm bored, and I've been yours and Harry's friend for five plus years. I may be a bookworm, but I want to know about this. How did you do it? Harry hates alcohol!"

Ron, after pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming,continued."It was kind of easy, since Harry was still kind of in shock over the whole 'I think I almost raped Ginny' episode. You should've seen him!"

Hermione snickered. "I'll curtail the instinct to yell at you, if you'll go on."

"Well, into the first bottle or so, Harry was actually a pretty normal drunk. You know, the slurred speech, random movements, tripping over his own feet… from what I remember it was quite entertaining."

Ron smirked. "I think at one point Harry jumped up on the bridge and started singing some song about 'Voldemort is going down' to the tune of 'London Bridge.'"

"Oh, I would've paid money to hear Harry sing that." Hermione's face lit up with glee. To tell the truth, Ron thought it was right scary, seeing such a face on the resident bookworm. Ron shook it off, realizing that this was probably a side-effect of having a playful cat as an Animagus form.

Ron sniggered. "I'll get you the lyrics later. For a drunk singer, Harry actually had a good voice."

"You said that was during the first bottle. How many were there?" Hermione asked as the thought struck her.

"We're not quite sure. My memory stops at four, but I think that after I passed out Harry might've had one more."

Hermione was flabbergasted. "You mean that Harry drunk you under the table?"

"Aren't you proud of him?" Ron grinned at her.

"Finish the story, Ron."

"Fine. Anyway, when we started on the second bottle, I thought it would be a good idea to play chess, and see how good I was when I was soused."

Ron paused, and shuddered. Hermione looked at him sympathetically. "He's that bad?"

"He's that _good_! Hermione, I can't remember much, but I do remember that he trounced me quite soundly. Harry may be horrible at chess when he's sober, but he's the devil himself when he's had a lot to drink."

Hermione was incredulous. "That's…I don't know whether to believe that you're telling the truth or telling tall tales. Either way, I want to hear more!"

"I'm pretty sure that after that Harry and I started fighting. Let me tell you, Dots, he seriously kicked my ass, without even trying. If he's that good when he's soused…"

The thought was left unsaid, and the both of them wondered at the implications of that.

Eventually, Ron continued. "On the third bottle, Harry was hilarious again, but also a bit scary. He started jumping around, hanging off the walls singing something about a spider man." Ron shuddered.

Hermione chuckled. "Spiderman is a superhero that American muggles made up and put in comics."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then, Harry started getting freaky. He started shooting this web stuff out of his hands."

"I don't think that's one of his gifts." Hermione stated.

"It's not, Dots. Harry was using wandless magic. I saw him create this moving, green, goblin-like statue out of a table lamp, and he started fighting it, still singing that stupid spider man song. Sometime after that we got into the fourth bottle, and I think I passed out after we emptied half of the bottle. That was after I crowned Harry the Sarcasm King with a jump rope that I'm not too sure on how it got there."

They were silent for a moment, and then Ron heard the strangest noise. He looked around, and then raised his eyebrow at Hermione. "Why in the world are you purring?"

Hermione blushed. "Was I? Sorry, I caught myself doing that lately." At Ron's continued look, she smiled. "Shade is going to kick Voldemort's ass."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, we kind of already knew that he could."

Hermione shook her head. "You don't understand, Swiftie. We know that he could, and now we know that he will. All we have to do is get Shade drunk, and send him to Voldemort." She walked away, purring and humming.

Ron blinked and chuckled. Apparently Hermione's time as a cat had done her some good. She wasn't as… strict as before, and if Ron had heard right, Hermione had actually cursed. As for her plan… it wasn't particularly well thought out, but knowing Hermione, she was already working on the kinks. It could work…

As he walked off to check his school trunk once more, Ron couldn't help but laugh at the image of a drunken Harry bouncing around the Dark Queen, singing "Voldemort is going down," transforming Voldemort's clothes into a green goblin suit, and shooting webbing at him.

* * *

"_How in the world did you learn so much about humans?_" Numa asked, fascinated at the lecture Hedwig had given her.

Hedwig's feathers ruffled in amusement. "_I got Fawkes to tell me._"

The school owl blinked and blinked. For good measure, she blinked a third time. "_Pray tell, how did you manage that?_"

Hedwig shot Numa a triumphant look. "_I followed my plan. See, first you have to act naïve and innocent, otherwise they'll suspect you. Me, I acted the clueless yet faithful owl trying to understand her pet's behavior_."

Numa was shocked. "_You mean that was all an act?_"

"_Of course. Honestly, I've lived around a teenaged boy for five years. I couldn't _not_ know about humans and their mating habits._"

There was a short spell of silence in the owlery. Numa broke it. "_You… you tricked Fawkes!_"

Hedwig's eyes twinkled. "_Well, yes, that was an added benefit._"

* * *

Remus closed the door to the girls' room, and turned to look at his charges. Ron and Hermione were sitting on one of the couches, heads together and smirking. Harry was sitting on his trunk in meditation. Ginny was sitting nonchalantly on her favorite chair in her favorite little white sundress.

The werewolf sighed, and had a vague idea of what was going on. His ears caught the tail wind of Ron and Hermione's conversation and after hearing something like "shave his belly with a rusty razor," decided that their talk was far from romantic, and he really didn't want to know any more. Harry was trying to meditate, and clear his mind, but Ginny was doing her damnedest to break that concentration. Remus was certain he didn't want to know.

"Everything is clear. Harry, when are we going?" Remus announced, drawing four sets of eyes to him.

Harry stood up and stretched. "As soon as Fawkes gets here. I don't know where he is, though. I really don't want to try getting us all there by my shifting, without knowing what will happen. If that phoenix doesn't show soon, we'll be late!"

A few minutes later of waiting, Harry got fed up, and sent a strong mindcall to the Phoenix. Mere seconds after that, a small burst of flame appeared in front of Harry's face.

The group stared at the Phoenix who abruptly crash landed at Harry's feet. "Fawkes?" Harry asked, surprised.

"_Y-yerp! Thasch me all wight.__:hiccup:_ _I d-didna know how tall youshe wash gettin'_"

Harry looked down at the Phoenix, who was looking like rather worse for the wear. He met the eyes of the others. "He's drunk!"

Fawkes lifted his head indignantly. "_Dr-drunkkk? I'm no' drunk. I shwear to drunk I'm not Merli-li-lin._" His reply was so strong that everyone heard. Ginny was the first to crack up laughing, followed by Ron, Harry, Remus, and Hermione.

Harry, however, was the first to regain his composure. "Fawkes, seeing as you're a fire bird and all, I really don't think you should be drinking, at all."

"_I can handle-lull my drinksh. I'm a Fee-necks-ish, and we can drink any_ _:hiccup:_ _shpee-sheesh under da tay-bol._" Fawkes tried to speak snootily, but the effect was rather ruined.

Ron looked skeptical. "Right. Shade, I'm afraid we'll have to test your powers out. I do not trust us and all my stuff to a sloshed fire bird."

Harry sighed, and nodded. "I understand. I think that maybe I can combine a Demiguise's invisibility with a Phoenix so that I won't be discovered."

"_Where'sh arrre ya goin'? I can takesh ya annny wheresh ya wan'_"

By this time, Fawkes was being ignored. "All right. Everyone put your stuff in a circle and sit on your trunks. Make sure that everything you want to take is either being held by you or you're touching it." Harry directed.

As they hurried to do as Harry asked, Hermione looked at Fawkes, who was swaying slightly on the floor, humming to himself. "What about Fawkes?"

Harry spared a glance at Fawkes, and grinned. "Once I take all of you, I'll come back and sober him up a bit. I'll find you on the train. Could someone take care of my trunk until then?"

* * *

Harry appeared in the compartment that the three other Marauders had claimed, just as the train was pulling out of the station.

"Hey Shade." Hermione looked up from her book. Similar greetings came from the rest of them.

"Hey Her… Dots. Sorry, got to start getting into the habit of calling everyone by their names huh?" Harry said.

Ron shrugged. "I guess, although we won't be upset if you slip and, Merlin forbid, you call us by our given names."

Giving Ron a mock glare, Harry stretched out in his seat next to Ginny. He was vaguely uncomfortable with the arrangement, and knew he was set up, but also knew better than to complain about it.

"Moony get away safely?" Harry questioned

Hermione nodded. "As soon as we landed, Moony slipped away. He promised to write us."

"Anyone give you any trouble?"

Ginny shook her head. "Well, we haven't had our annual visit from ferret-face yet, so no." Harry grinned at her for her nickname for Malfoy.

Hermione sighed. "True, but I think what Shade was asking about were our parents or the bird-club members."

They sniggered at that. "Well, we kind of got on before they could see us in the crowd," Ginny replied. "Because of that alcoholic firebird, we were almost late, and we had enough trouble finding an empty compartment as it was."

Ron looked interested. "Speaking of alcoholic firebirds, what did you do with Fawkes, Shade?"

The evil grin on Harry's face made the Marauders quite afraid to find out the answer. Instead of telling them the truth, Harry merely told them to wait.

As the Hogwarts Express rolled on to Hogwarts, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione could only guess about what Harry had done to the drunken Phoenix.

* * *

Well, sorry for the non-updates... It's just been busy.

For one, I had to do this humongous research project ofer Alasdair Gray and his book Lanark. My English teacher is evil... we had to write a paper, make a brochure, and have a powerpoint over what we leaned. I just turned it in, and I'm relieved that it's over. Now, all I have to do is prepare for finals! Oh joy :sarcasm: My teacher has made me effectively hate that book with a passion. For all of those out there who love it, sorry, but I think I'm going to burn my book and dance around the embers when I'm sure I won't have to deal with the project again.

Another thing, my bro came over to visit. He's an Army soldier in Iraq, so any time my family and I have is few and far between. I won't see him again until December.

I was also pissed off because I ordered an MP3 player, and it came defective. I've onlyrecently got around to doing something about it. Hopefully I should get it either near graduation or start of the summer.

I'm very happy right now, because I only have 17 school days left::celebration: I have to do finals and all, but I'm happy that it's coming to an end. And since I'm a senior... good-bye public school system, hello "real world!"

Okay, enough about me. For those who have asked this question, I'm going to answer it for... I really don't know what time it is, but it probably won't be the last.

THIS IS A H/G STORY! THIS MEANS THAT HARRY AND GINNY WILL END UP AS A COUPLE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!

If it's a comfort to you, this won't be the cliche "Harry-suddenly-realizes-how-beautiful-Ginny-is-and-decides-that-she-is-his-soul-mate" type of story that makes me kind of nauseous. After all, Harry is a boy (no offense to any guys out there) and he's a bit dense in the love area.

Okay, just for the heck of it...

Kudos to the first person who realizes what song I'm referring to at the end of the chapter! (No, it's not "London Bridge")

Well, I'm off to think and write the next chapter... Make sure and leave me a review! I enjoy reading 'em!


	22. Interruptions

(A/N: I own nothing. Except for that one id... nope, nothing at all. For the record, I am NOT JKR, as one of my reviews said I was... although I considered it a great compliment to be compared to her... No, I'm just a girl passing the time, thinking up stories about the HP world. Everything in said world is owned by JKR and... I just don't own it okay? Now, back to your irregularly scheduled chapter. More to come at the end!)

Chapter 21: Interruptions

Ron and Hermione looked as if they were discussing something important, when Ernie MacMillan opened the door to the compartment. "There you guys are. The Prefect meeting is about to start!"

Harry, who was about to start his training out of sheer boredom, shot a look at Hermione. She looked horrified that she had been so engrossed with her conversation that she had forgotten about her Prefect duties.

The two Prefects shot up. "We have to go Shade." Ron said apologetically. Hermione looked anxiously at Harry.

Harry raised an eyebrow. It sounded like they were asking permission… Harry grinned as he realized that their inner animals had affected them so much that they looked to him for guidance in every situation. Even though cats weren't normally pack animals, Hermione's long friendship with Harry and Ron, pack animals both, had changed her inner animal's feelings. She now looked to him as an Alpha just like the others.

"Go ahead. Me and Furball here will be fine." Harry smirked, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ginny's expression. He quickly moved to sit opposite from her.

The two other Marauders chuckled, and made their escape quickly, following Ernie out. As they closed the compartment door, Harry heard Ernie ask "Shade? Furball? What's going on?" Ron's voice floated back, "Just nicknames we gave each other over the summer."

"Furball, huh?" Ginny asked, deceptively calm.

Harry leaned back, enjoying baiting her. "Would you prefer Furry? Furball just rolls off the tongue easier."

Ginny got a wicked look in her eye. "I'm glad I roll off _your_ tongue."

"_Ginny!_" Harry looked shocked.

The redhead grinned. "If you can't take it, don't dish it." She said, satisfied. That should teach him to take her seriously.

Harry paused, as if in thought. "Were we… flirting?" It was a new experience for Harry; last year's fiasco with Cho Chang made him think he was hopeless with anything girl related. He was quickly learning that Ginny Weasley was not Cho Chang.

Ginny made a show of buffing her fingernails against her shirt. "I was flirting, but I don't have the slightest idea about what you were doing." Slyly looking from the corner of her eye, she saw a small blush on Harry's cheeks. "Are you okay, Harry? You look a little… flushed." She couldn't help but show a small smirk.

Harry was a quick learner. "Sorry, it's getting a little hot in here. Maybe I should leave." It wasn't the best response, but he was still a little uncertain about this new game.

A single red eyebrow lifted upward. Ginny very blatantly looked Harry up and down, and smirked. "It's not that hot in here." Her voice was droll.

"Must be you, then." Harry replied quickly. He watched, satisfied, as Ginny's entire face turned red. While she was momentarily speechless, Harry pulled out a book from his bag, and started reading. The book was positioned as to hide his grinning face from the redhead sitting across from him.

Ginny sighed, and when Harry's eyes looked up, she bowed her head, acknowledging his victory. Following his example, she got one of her school books and started reading.

* * *

An hour later, Hermione and Ron burst into the compartment, looking frustrated and annoyed beyond measure. Harry and Ginny looked up from their books. 

"Nice Prefect meeting?" Ginny questioned innocently.

"That slimy piece of…" Ron was cut off by Hermione's silencing charm. He didn't notice it until he tried to talk to Harry and realized that no sound was coming out of his mouth.

Hermione met Ron's glare measure for measure. "There is no use in getting Shade and Firefur all riled up. We will tell them what happened very calmly."

Ron slumped in defeat. Seeing his agreement, Hermione removed the spell.

Harry raised his eyebrow. "I take it Malfoy is still a Prefect?" He asked calmly, although his hand gripped his wand very tightly.

Two deep, frustrated sighs were his answer. "Yeah mate, he is. Don't know why Dumbledore kept him, though." Ron looked glum. "And the slimy git kept acting as if he'd been crowned King of England. He even tried to run the meeting himself!"

Hermione practically threw herself down next to Ginny, clearly frustrated. "We didn't get anything done thanks to Malfoy. For a whole hour! I hope that he gets sacked!"

Before anyone could say anything, the compartment door opened, and an unfortunately familiar blonde entered. "Oh, so this is where the stench is coming from. Hey Crabbe, Goyle, it was just as I thought! Two Mudbloods and two pieces of trash!"

Malfoy took one step into the compartment, reaching for his wand. Harry was faster, and didn't need a wand. Malfoy was now the proud owner of a broken nose.

"Malfoy, how are you? Nice day, isn't it?" Harry said pleasantly, a smile on his face as he rubbed his knuckles. When Malfoy reached for his wand again, Harry whirled and kicked Malfoy in the stomach. The blonde went flying back, out of the apartment.

Crabbe and Goyle moved forward, but Harry simply raised an eyebrow. "Although your looks are criminal enough, you haven't yet done anything wrong. Either move yourselves from this compartment, or I will be glad to make you move." The tone of his voice was ice cold. Crabbe and Goyle showed extreme intelligence in moving out of the way.

Harry stalked over to an agonizing Malfoy, and crouched down, staring the blonde in the eyes. "I'll be nice, and give you a few tips. First, don't be rude. I'll be upset, and that would cause a repeat of what I just did to you. Second, don't insult my friends. That tends to make me angry, and you don't want to see me angry. Last, don't insult my parents. That makes me pissed-off. You won't survive when I'm pissed-off. Follow those rules, and you just might live 'til the end of the year." He smiled when he saw the fear in Malfoy's eyes.

Then, he turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "You may take him and leave, now." Harry said in an obvious dismissal, and the two bodyguards got the message. They picked up a groaning Malfoy, and left farther down the train.

The raven-haired teen flexed his fingers, and walked calmly back to his compartment, seemingly ignoring the crowd that had gathered, as well as his friends' awe-struck expressions. Flopping down in his original seat, he inspected his hand, and frowned. "Damn, I think I might have a slight bruise coming on! Stupid bastards and their hard-headed skulls!"

"Language, Shade!" Hermione's instincts kicked in. After she said that, she blinked, shook her head quickly, and scowled at Harry. "Why, oh why, did you have to fight with Malfoy?"

Ron looked at Harry with something akin to hero-worship in his eyes. "Bloody hell, Shade, that was awesome! Could you teach me?"

Ginny also added in her two cents. "That's what I like in a man… always willing to protect his lady!" The youngest Weasley looked around in the silence that followed her words. "What?"

"I protect my Pack, plus I wanted to teach Malfoy a lesson, yes, I'll teach you, and I thought you liked a man's tongue, Ginny." Harry leaned back.

"What?" Came from three throats. Harry grinned mischievously. "I fought with Malfoy because I'm supposed to protect my Pack and its honor, and I wanted to teach Malfoy the dangers of being a jackass. Yes, I'll teach you Ron, I'll work a schedule out with you later. Ginny, I believe earlier you were enamored with tongues in a man. Has that changed?"

More silence followed. Then Ron looked at his sister and Harry, head darting back between the two. "Tongues? Harry, you'd better not have been corrupting my sister!"

Harry linked his hands behind his head, and smirked. "I'm not the one doing the corrupting. Ask Ginny about her tongue-fetish, though, not me." Once more, Ginny Weasley turned a bright shade of red. Harry couldn't resist one last parting shot. "What's a matter, Ginny? You look… flushed. Should I leave?"

Ginny, if possible, turned redder.

* * *

There had been three hours, forty-one minutes, and fifty-eight seconds of peace in the compartment, when the door slid open. Harry looked up, and smirked. "Why, hello Professor Dumbledore! What brings you to the Hogwarts Express?" 

Before the Headmaster could open his mouth, Ginny spoke up. "I bet he's here about Fawkes. Are you going to tell us now?" She, and the other students in the compartment, looked eagerly at Harry for the story.

"I'm surprised you haven't told them yet, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Harry shrugged, his eyes twinkling back. "Timing is everything, Headmaster. That... and I wanted to have sufficient shock value."

Dumbledore nodded, sagely. "True. Will you tell us now, Mr. Potter? I'd like to hear the story about what you did to Fawkes in your own words."

The raven-haired teen leaned back, and smirked. "Sure, although you might want to take a seat, Professor." Dumbledore sat down, and leaned forward, as if to better hear Harry's story.

Story/Flashback

_Harry flamed back to the Chamber, where Fawkes was drunkenly swaying. "_H-hello Harry! Whatsh you doin' hurr?_"_

"_I'm sobering you up, you drunken excuse for a Phoenix. Can you even stand up?" Harry asked angrily. He really liked the Phoenix, but Fawkes could've endangered his friends. Besides, no one really knew how alcohol affected Phoenixes. Well, of course, no one had ever had the chance, before now._

_Fawkes dipped his head, and looked in almost surprise at the sight of the rest of his body lying on the floor. "_Well, would you lo-ok a' tha'?_" He said, bemused._

_A spark of mischief welled up in Harry. He swooped, grabbed Fawkes with his talons, and flamed away. _

Pause

"Mr. Potter, what exactly were you at this time?" The others looked up in annoyance at the interruption. Harry sighed.

"To make a long story short, I can transform into a Phoenix."

Dumbledore looked fascinated. "May I hear the long story?"

"No." Harry said tersely. "Now, may I continue?" Dumbledore looked around, and seeing the irritated faces of the others, he sighed, and nodded his head.

Resume Story/Flashback

_The two Phoenixes appeared in the sky over Hogwarts. Fawkes looked startled. He was even more so, when Harry looked at the lake with a glint in his eyes. Calling on his magic, Harry directed his focus to what he knew was a particularly deep spot._

_Short seconds later, Fawkes was taking a swim in the Hogwarts lake, in a spot that had a very powerful Freezing Charm recently cast on it._

_Harry went and hovered over Fawkes' point of entry. He waited patiently, and sure enough, a spluttering Fawkes made his way to the surface. "How are you now?" At the sputters, Harry sighed, and pushed the other down again. It took less time for Fawkes to rise. "I'll ask you again. How are you now?"_

"I'm cold, wet, and I think that I'm about to throw up._" Fawkes shook his head, and reached a talon up. Harry grinned, and took it, pulling the Phoenix from the water. "In other words, you're all right."_

_On the shore, Harry changed back into human form, and looked curiously over at Fawkes. The Phoenix had just finished puking up lake water, and whatever was left in his stomach. "So, how and why in the world did you get so drunk?"_

_Fawkes sighed. "_Well, as to the how, I drank copious amounts of Firewhiskey in a miniscule amount of time. As to the why…_"_

_Before he could explain why he got so drunk, they were joined by Hedwig. "_I thought I saw a capsized Phoenix in the lake. Why was Fawkes trying to swim?_"_

_Harry chuckled. "It was more of a forced dunking, Hedwig. Fawkes here got totally and completely smashed. This was my way of sobering him up."_

_Fawkes sighed, as Hedwig tried to smother her laughter at the sodden Phoenix. "_As I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, Harry, this little owl is the reason I got sloshed._"_

_Harry raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Do tell." Beside him, Hedwig started shaking._

"She didn't understand anything about humans, and I had to… err… give her The Talk._"_

_Fawkes expected some laughter, but Harry's reaction was ridiculous. The teen looked at the owl, a smile forming on his face. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and her eyes were laughing. Then, Harry started howling with laughter, rolling on the ground. Hedwig wasn't far behind._

"Will either of you tell me what in the world is so funny?_"_

"_Fawkes, my friend, you've been royally had!" Then, Harry started laughing again._

_It took a few minutes before Harry had calmed down enough to tell Fawkes the truth, although he still sniggered while he was explaining. "Hedwig and I have always been close, even before mindspeech. Sometimes, I could even tell what she would say, if she were human. One day, during the summer after third year, Hedwig caught me… um, yeah; let's just say she was curious. So, I explained everything to her. Shortly after the council gave me the gifts, we had a long talk, and she was able to ask questions she couldn't before. It was a long, embarrassing talk, but I can assure you, before we even entered the Chamber, she was fully knowledgeable about every aspect of The Talk."_

_Needless to say, Fawkes was shocked._

Awkward Pause

"So then what happened?" Ginny asked awkwardly. Harry had paused, blushing as he told that last part, and silence had descended.

Harry, still with red on his cheeks, raised his hand to the back of his head, mussing his already messy hair as if to find some comfort in the motion.

Resume

_Fawkes shook his head. "_Why am I not drunk again?_" He asked himself out loud._

_Harry, still sniggering, shook his head. "Because I dunked you in icy cold water?" He answered innocently._

_The Phoenix thought about that. "_That's not good._" With that, the firebird flew away, and came back seconds later with a bottle of Firewhiskey. "_Could you open this for me, Harry? I feel the excessive need to drink a lot in a short period of time._"_

_Hedwig was about to take the bottle away from Fawkes, when Harry grabbed it, and opened it. He gave the bottle back, and watched as the Phoenix started on the big bottle._

"Why in the world are you letting him get drunk again?_" Hedwig asked. Fawkes took another drink and Harry grinned at his owl. "Once he gets smashed, we can make sure he will never want to get that way again. And I have a few ideas…"_

End Story/Flashback

Dumbledore sighed. "Am I supposed to believe you tied up Fawkes with some Muggle 'Ducked Tape', dipped him in tar, covered him with neon pink chicken feathers, made him into a weather vane, and put him on top of the North Tower, all for his own good?"

Silence reigned once more in the compartment, as the occupants turned and stared at Harry with varying emotions. Ron stared in a bit of awe, and Ginny looked downright gleeful. Hermione glared at Harry in disapproval.

Harry allowed one corner of his mouth to turn up. "Um, yeah. Oh, and it's 'Duct Tape'"

Dumbledore shook his head, speechless, and left. When he was safely away at Hogwarts, he went up to the Tower, where he could join the crowd of teachers staring at the spectacle. Then, and only then, did he allow himself to snigger.

* * *

An hour away from Hogwarts, the compartment door opened, and Luna and Neville entered to a loud, noisy argument. 

"…progress from organic to non-organic material is unnecessary!" Hermione argued.

"Um, that meant from something that once lived to something never was alive, right?" Ron threw in, looking a bit confused.

"What in the world is going on in here?"

All four of the people that were sitting down shot their heads up. "Oh, hello Neville, Luna! Come on and sit down!" Ginny enthused.

The pair cautiously took their seats, and Harry leaned towards them. "In answer to your question, Neville, we've been talking about Transfiguration. Hermione here says that going from organic to non-organic is harder than simply going from… say, small organic to large organic. I say it's the same difficulty."

"And Ron's actually participating in this conversation?" Neville blurted out. As his mind caught up with his mouth, he blushed, and covered the offending body part with his hands.

Ron scowled, and the rest of them had a good chuckle.

Harry was smiling. "Actually, he started this whole thing. He asked Hermione and me if it were possible to really transform a bird into a weather vane. Then, it kind of degenerated from there."

Luna nodded, as if everything made sense, but Neville looked confused. "Do I even want to know why Ron was asking that question?"

From the peals of laughter after that question, Neville gathered that he didn't, really.

* * *

The train finally pulled into Hogsmeade station, and the eager students on board the Hogwarts Express poured out. The first years started migrating towards Hagrid's booming voice, and the returning students made their way to the carriages. 

Harry stepped out, and looked fondly at the scene of chaos in front of him. He glanced briefly at the thestrals, and saw that some others were staring at the previously invisible animals. The summer had been a hard one for many of the students… Voldemort had been quite active.

The other members of the Ministry Crew, as the papers were calling them, gathered behind Harry's back. "Are you ready, Harry?" Ginny asked him. She paused, and realized that her question was somewhat ambiguous. "Er, I meant..." The redhead trailed off, as Harry's mouth curved upwards.

"Yes, I am." Unconsciously, Harry's body took a firm stance as he looked towards the building of Hogwarts. His eyes sparkled, and his head lifted, and his friends wondered at how leader-like their… leader had become. He looked like a hero of old, the kind that appears in storybooks.

Or, he did until he spotted something that made him burst out laughing. At his friends' questions, he lifted his arm and pointed. They couldn't help but laugh, and it started a chain reaction among the other students.

There, standing proudly on the top of the tallest tower of Hogwarts, a neon pink and vaguely bird-like weather vane swayed in the wind.

* * *

Okay, okay, I know, this is _way_ late... Let me explain before you bring out the torches and pitchforks... shudder

First, I graduated from High School (3 cheers for me!). I'll tell you though, that last month was rough, with me trying to pass and all. Plus, all the grad parties, and saying goodbye to some friends that I've known for four years... So yeah, the end of May through mid-June was hectic... and sad... ,-(

Then, from mid-June until now, I (actually) got a job... Shock to me too... So, I wasn't really thinking about BL, more about the nice, lovely, beautiful paychecks that are now coming into my life every two weeks.

Last... life kinda stepped in, and I had to pay a bit more attention to it than BL. Let me warn you, college is coming up soon, and I will need to concentrate on that... occasionally ;-)

BUT! Let me assure you all, I WILL NOT ABANDON BL! If, God forbid, that I ever decided that I needed to, I would post something up on my profile, or on the story itself. But that's not happening anytime soon!

On the plus side, I did start a Yahoo! Group... the link is here: http/groups. I figured that since there's so much time between updates, I could at least start up some communication between me and BL lovers! I do check it everyday, so check it out, and who knows? Maybe I'll share some BL-related stuff, or make an important announcement... Who knows? Well, me, obviously, but I meant other than me ;-)

Okie dokie, just one more thing. I don't know when the next update will be. Sorry... it's just... job, life, school... those things are so time-consuming! But I will not make it an entire year before I post the next chapter, and that I can promise.

That it! Hopefully I'll be seeing you on my group, and I'll keep in touch! Love you all loads!

Ceres K.


	23. What DO you do with a drunken Phoenix?

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(A/N: Read and be happy. Explanations in the post-chappie AN)

Chapter 22: What DO you do with a drunken Phoenix?

"You know, I shudder to think about what Fawkes' revenge is going to be like, Shade." Ron muttered to Harry as they walked into the Great Hall.

The shapeshifter grinned. "Oh, Fawkes knows that if he even tries anything with me, I'll make what I just did to him seem like a walk in the park. Don't worry so much, Swiftie! You'll get worry lines, and then Hermione won't want you anymore."

Ron swatted at him, and Harry dodged, laughing. Luckily for the youngest male Weasley, Hermione and Ginny were too engrossed in their own conversation to even notice their antics. Neville, standing off to the side, wondered if his House mates had gone completely barmy over the summer.

"Harry, did you happen to see a Crumple-horned Snorckack anywhere this summer? Or a Snofalofaling Wimbibler? There were too many Kazamaloos for me to see any." Luna's question stopped the boys' antics.

The raven-haired teen lifted his head, and looked deeply into Luna's eyes. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't care to say, but he apparently found it. His face lit up with a grin. "Ah, no, I can't say I did. We'll talk later though, Luna, okay? As much as I hate to admit it, you need to go sit with the Ravenclaws. Tell them, though, that if they start messing with you this year…" Harry paused, and then his grin turned downright mischievous. "Actually, don't tell them anything. Tell me if they bother you, and I'll take care of it."

His statement caused the rest of the Ministry Crew to turn and stare at him. Luna blinked her eyes, and then smiled. "Thank you Harry, I shall." She turned calmly, and went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table.

"What was that all about, Harry?" Neville asked, somewhat scared of what Harry could be planning.

Harry smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Neville." If Neville hadn't seen the somewhat evil-looking expression on Harry's face, he would have fallen for Harry's "I'm an Angel" act.

"Um, right, Harry." Neville remembered some sage advice that he had overheard in a conversation between two Gryffindor muggle-borns last year; Smile, Nod, and Back Away. He followed that advice now. "I'm just going to… um… find a nice seat over there… where… I'm sure that my favorite dish will appear at the start of the Feast." The sixth-year nervously side-stepped until he was far, far away from Harry.

Swiftpaw started sniggering. "That was great, Harry! Although I think Neville thinks you're a bit crazy now…" Ron was a bit scared of Harry too, but he knew his friend. Something was coming up, and there was no way he was going to miss it.

Harry shrugged. "Well, Dumbledore's always been a bit barmy, and he's one of the most powerful wizards I know. I'm performing an experiment, trying to figure out if you need to be a bit loopy before you become powerful, or if it comes with the power." He told his friends in a serious tone, with a perfectly straight face.

He paused, and then laughed as more than one of his neo-Marauders dropped their jaws. "I'm just kidding, guys! Boy, you should have seen the look on your faces!" Harry walked away, still chuckling.

"You know, I'm actually not sure if he was joking around with us _that_ time or not." Ginny said after a pause.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "There are some times that I wonder about that boy."

Firefur looked at her friend in amazement. "Sometimes? Dots, try all the time!" She snuck one more glance at Harry, before turning her gaze back to Hermione. "And the worst part is, he's supposed to be our Alpha."

"Aw, cheer up, Firefur. Maybe he has a point to this whole 'I'm a crazy-but-powerful-wizard' thing. 'Sides, do we really want the brooding, angry, generally pissed off Harry that he was last year?" Ron slung his arm over his sister's shoulder. "Besides, at least this way, he provides us with the entertainment!"

Dots raised one of her eyebrows. "Well, be as that may…" She trailed off. Ginny just smiled, and shook her head at her older friend. "He does have a point, Dots."

Sighing, Hermione agreed, and they followed their Alpha as he made his way through the crowd to the Gryffindor table.

* * *

"Welcome," Dumbledore rose as the last first year was Sorted, and McGonagall took the Sorting Hat away. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

"A few start-of-term notices before we begin our Feast. I shall aspire to be brief, as I know that nearly all of you would like to fill your bellies. Alas, this must be done." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he saw many of his students groan. Ron Weasley, in particular, decided to assault Gryffindor table with his head.

"First, all of our new first-year students should know that the Forbidden Forest is precisely that; Forbidden. I would like to point out, though, that this rule does not only apply to the first years." The Headmaster noticed a group of four students at the Gryffindor table who smirked at each other, and he allowed his eyes to twinkle more.

"Second, Mr. Filch, our caretaker here at Hogwarts, would like for me to inform all of you that there should be no magic used in the corridors. He has also banned all joke items from the new store, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, as well as many other items. I believe the full list can be found on Mr. Filch's office door. For those who wish to view the list, a magnifying spell will be needed. For those who do not know that spell, I'm sure Professor Flitwick will be delighted to teach you." Ginny and Ron high-fived each other, grinning. They were darn proud of their brothers' joke shop.

"Information about happenings at Hogwarts can be found in your House Common Rooms, where we have placed a bulletin board for school events and announcements, so that all can see. Because of this new procedure, it shall hopefully get us to our delightful meal sooner." Those in the Great Hall cheered.

Dumbledore smiled a tad regretfully. "Ah yes, yes, but I have one last thing to say before we eat." The Hall quieted, and noted their Headmaster's serious attitude. "As many of you have no doubt heard, Lord Voldemort has returned."

There was an uproar at that, many students screaming or fainting. Harry merely sighed, and shook his head in his hands. To his pride, his friends were also expressing their disgust at the chaos that had just risen. After a full minute, in which said chaos did not seem to be stopping, Harry raised his wand.

BANG! The sound went off like a gunshot, and startled the students into silence. They turned, and found Harry standing up, wand still in hand. "Oh stuff it, you cowards. Voldemort…" Harry raised an eyebrow as nearly everyone at least flinched. "…Is only a name. It will not make him magically appear whenever you say it. See? Vol-Dee-Morrrrtt." Harry dragged out the name, and then dramatically looked around. "Well drat, he's not here. So can you all shut your mouths, and let Headmaster Dumbledore finish?"

"Ah, thank you Mr. Potter. Now, where was I? Oh yes, Lord Voldemort has returned." Dumbledore nodded in Harry's direction, and the teen sat down, noticing that the well-known universal flinch wasn't as bad this time. "However, all of you are safe here. I, along with all the teachers, guarantee your protection here at Hogwarts." The confidence in which the Headmaster spoke these words allayed some of the fears that many students had been having.

"Now, with that note in mind, let us feast!"

* * *

The Welcoming Feast was just as splendid as always, as Ron Weasley could attest. After the first helping, Hermione gave up trying to reform Ron's eating habits, and had concentrated on a rather delicious pudding. Harry and Ginny had exchanged smirks, and returned to their own meals.

"So, who do you think is going to be the next Defense teacher?" Hermione asked her Alpha curiously.

Shade looked up from his plate. "Hmm… Never thought about that. With Umbit..Umbridge, I mean, gone, I dunno who is going to take her place."

Hermione frowned at Harry for his near slip, who just winked at her and continued. "Whoever it is, odds are that in one shape or another, they'll try to kill me."

"Want to bet on that?" Ron asked Harry eagerly. As Harry's eyes lit up, Ron faltered as he remembered their past five years at Hogwarts. "Er, actually, I think I'd rather not."

Harry mock-pouted. "Damn…" When Hermione glared at him, he smiled innocently at her.

Ginny snickered. "Dots, why do you even try?"

Hermione sighed. "Force of habit" When her friends turned to stare at her, she gave an eerily accurate mimicry of Harry's "I'm-an-Angel" expression.

"Now that's rather disturbing." Swiftpaw deadpanned. All four of them laughed, and went back to their meals.

* * *

The Great Hall's noise level was now at a murmur, mostly because of the stupor that nearly always followed a good meal. Noticing that many of the students were yawning, the Headmaster stood up once more.

"Just a few more things before all of you head off to bed. Some of you may not have known, but I'm sorry to inform you that Professor Umbridge will not be returning to Hogwarts this year." Dumbledore hid his smile very carefully, as cheers exploded from nearly all of the students, the exceptions being the first years and some of the Slytherins. "Our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is running late, and will be here in the morning. Please make every effort to welcome him when he gets here."

Albus was about to continue, when he, as well as many others in the hall, noticed writing appearing in the air.

"**Welcome to Hogwarts! I am Shadowfang, leader of the New Marauders, also known as the Pack. The rest of my Pack will introduce themselves to you later. For now, sit back, and enjoy the show.**" Harry looked as shocked as anyone when the lights dimmed, and tried to keep the pain out of his face as he was kicked in both legs, and elbowed hard in the side, courtesy of his Pack-mates.

A strain of music played, and a spotlight appeared on the stage. Laughter arose when a tarred, feathered, duct taped, and pink Phoenix weather vane was lit up by the beam. The weather vane danced in the tune of the music. "What do you do with a drunken Phoenix, what do you do with a drunken Phoenix…" The verses went on, the weather vane's antics inspiring fresh bursts of laughter.

"_Huh? Harry, why do I hear a sea chanty being sung? I feel really sick._" Harry smirked, watching the weather vane do a rather nice impression of a ballerina. "_You were drinking again, Fawkes. This is your other punishment. If you ever show up drunk in my presence again, I will do much, much worse. Get it?_"

Fawkes merely whimpered in place, as he was spun like a top. "_Make it stop! By all that is holy, please, Merlin, make it stop! I promise I'll never drink again!_"

Harry considered, and decided that maybe the Phoenix had learned his lesson. Just to be sure, he spun the weather vane around a few more turns, and then ended it on that verse. "…round and topsy-turvy, Spin 'im around and topsy-turvy, earl-eye in the school year!" At that, the weather vane vanished.

Cheers, whistles, and laughs preceded the weather vane's performance, and the dark grey writing appeared again. "**Thank you, thank you, thank you very much! Once again, this show was brought to you by Shadowfang, of the new Marauders! Sweet dreams, and you'll be meeting my Pack real soon!**" Harry winced as he again felt pain when his Pack kicked and elbowed him.

Dumbledore looked amused, while the other teachers looked horrified. "Wonderful entertainment, I must say. Now, all of you, off to bed!"

Taking that as his cue, Harry made his way out of the Great Hall before any of the Staff could break out of their shock.

* * *

When most of the Gryffindor House decided to finally go to sleep, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione pulled Harry to the side, faces furious. "What in the name of Merlin was that all about?" Dots kept her voice low.

Harry grinned, and relaxed back into his chair. "That was some comic relief. Think, Hermione, what is on most everyone's mind right now?"

"Your little prank on Fawkes! How dare you…" Hermione trailed off. "Ah. Well then, good job, Harry."

Ginny gave him a thumbs up, but Ron was still in the land of cluelessness. "What? What did he do? Besides, you know, the obvious."

Dots sighed. "Swiftpaw, what happened before Shade's prank that had everyone talking?"

"Um, that would have to be Dumbledore and Harry talking about Vol... er, the Dark Queen." The group sniggered at the nickname.

"Exactly." Dots said patiently. "Now, what are they talking about now?"

Swiftpaw opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it as he thought. Understanding lit up his face. "Ah, Shade distracted all of us! Good job, mate!"

Harry grinned at his friend. "Thanks. Sorry about not talking with you guys about it first, but I didn't really have the time. At least this way, you were surprised as the rest of the Hall. Will you forgive me?"

"Yeah, why not, mate?" Ron said happily. Hermione gave up. "We'll talk about this later, Shade."

Ginny paused as all of the eyes turned to her. "You do realize that we'll have to introduce ourselves in our own unique way, right?" She drawled.

Harry nodded. "That was in my plans. What I was thinking was this; you guys do separate pranks, and introduce yourselves through your own writing. I can teach you how to do the writing, and how to make it different colors and all that. Then, once they know that there are four of us, we can do one big prank together on the whole school." When their eyes lit up, Harry continued with his plans, smiling the whole time.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked at the gathering Staff members. After that… stunt… in the Great Hall, many had requested a meeting to discuss this latest development. So, after the Heads of Houses had made sure theirs were mostly quiet, the meeting began.

"Are we all here? Yes, yes, very good. Now, I presume that all of you want to talk about what just happened in the Great Hall?" There was a general mood of angry agreement that passed through the room.

Professor McGonagall stood up, quelling the noise. "Headmaster, what are we going to do about this? Who did this? I would normally say the Weasley twins, but they do not attend here anymore."

The Headmaster smiled gently. "Indeed, it could not have been the Weasley twins."

As discussion ran rampant about who pulled the prank, Professor Snape sat in his usual corner, scowling. He had a very good idea as to who had done it. "I don't see why we're arguing about who pulled the prank."

His voice had the effect of a thunderclap, as his colleagues turned to face him. "What was that, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling.

The Potions Master sighed irritably. "Obviously, there are going to be more pranks pulled. Sooner or later, the pranksters will reveal themselves, and then we will punish them."

When most of the teachers agreed, the Deputy Headmistress reluctantly. "As much as I hate to admit this," and once again the room quieted, "I don't think we should, at least, not for this prank."

"And why is that, Minerva?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"I think I'll be downright grateful to this… Shadowfang, for pulling that off before bedtime. I'd much rather have first years talking excitedly about the prank then shivering in fear over You-Know-Who."

That gave the room some thought. "Do you think perhaps this Shadowfang did what he did for that precise reason?" Professor Flitwick asked hesitantly.

"That is more than probable." Dumbledore allowed. "I propose that we let this prank… slip, for lack of a better word."

The teachers agreed softly. Dumbledore smiled. "Good then! Maybe these pranks will lift the morale of the school! However, if these stunts cross the line, we will step in and punish those involved."

With that, the meeting was adjourned.

* * *

Okay, I know that some of you are fainting in shock that I got a chappie up so quickly after the last one. Here's the reason:

IT'S HARRY POTTER AND JKR'S BIRTHDAY TODAY!

I figured, hell, why not? So, in honor of HP and JKR's birthday today, here's a brand-spankin'-new chappie for ya! Oh, and I guess this is a treat for all my lovely readers!

So yeah, check out my group (URL is in previous chapter), and have a nice day!

Ceres K.


	24. Birds Bad, Coffee Good

(A/N: Eh... what's up doc? runs and hides behind a bullet/anything proof shield until the lovely, wonderful readers are finished reading)

Disclaimer: I'm a poor college kid. If I owned Harry Potter, I would be rich and my initials would be JKR, or at least WB. So yeah, I'm neither

* * *

Chapter 23: Birds Bad, Coffee Good

Fawkes was sure he was in hell; his head was pounding, his throat was fuzzy, and hot, fiery pain rushed through his body like the tides of the sea. He also heard some evil laughter, most likely from the devil and his associates.

When he finally got around to opening his eyes, he and his brain agreed. He wasn't in hell. It was far, far worse than that.

"_Hey, Sleeping Beauty is awake!_" Fawkes shuddered as the voice, overly-loud in his head, sent fresh waves of pain down to his body. He groaned as the chatter picked up.

Hedwig would have been smirking evilly right now if she were human, Fawkes decided. The glint in her eyes would have made Harry proud. "_WHAT'S A MATTER, FAWKES?_" The owl mentally shouted, and looked gleefully as Fawkes made a pitiful noise and curled into an egg-fetal position.

Fawkes fought through the pain and aching muscles to glare at the white owl. "_If you could please stop shouting, and stop the Owlery from spinning, I would be grateful_." His voice was almost a whisper.

The sight of the poor, pitiful Phoenix lying on the floor of the Owlery started an internal battle within the white owl. Almost sighing, Hedwig gestured with her wing, and immediately the owls behind her quieted. Those who had been flying in circles to further confuse and disorientate the Phoenix quickly found perches. None of them wanted to miss the show that was about to start.

"_Why,_" Hedwig began quietly and dangerously, "_would you ever decide to place yourself in a position that would endanger my Master and his friends?_"

Fawkes looked up, startled. He was about to reply, when Hedwig cut him off again. "_I, for one, am glad that Master is a shifter, and could do what he needed to do in order to get him and his friends to the platform in time. We still don't know what effect alcohol has on firebirds, and that alone made the situation dangerous. If you had flamed in your inebriated state, you might have killed Master, or any of his friends._" Her mind voice was quietly furious.

The Phoenix slowly stood, testing his weight. "_I'm sorry,_" Fawkes began, head down, voice full of repentance. "_I just wanted to… to forget the humiliation I put upon myself. I didn't think of the possible consequences. I just didn't think at all._"

Hedwig flew from her perch, and landed next to the Phoenix, where tears were starting to well. Giving into uprising maternal instincts, she wrapped a comforting wing around his head, and gently preened his feathers. "_There, there, it will be all right. Master has punished you, and you know now that alcohol is not the solution. You won't do it again, will you?_" Fawkes shook his head, sniffling as much as a bird could. Hedwig continued this type of comforting talk, until Fawkes looked better. "_Now, you might want to get yourself cleaned up. You're still covered in tar, and pink chicken feathers, and that duct tape must be getting rather itchy._"

Fawkes looked at himself, and realized he was in much the same shape as he was the night before.

* * *

Daguur was a very laid-back goblin. Unfortunately for him, that was considered to be almost a disability among the goblin community. His personality also disqualified him from one of the only jobs a goblin could have; a Gringotts banker. Since all goblins were required to have jobs, Daguur's family and others in the community struggled to find him a job where his character would not be a liability.

Gringotts finally found him a job as an Assistant Birdkeeper, where Daguur was very happy to look over the owls, hawks, and other birds that Gringotts kept to message their clients. Later, after realizing that Daguur was doing a very good job, the head goblins at Gringotts promoted him to Head Birdkeeper, and let the old Head off of his punishment to go back to banking. Both goblins were pleased with the move.

Shaking his head from his thoughts, Daguur made his way to the letter pile to check to see if anything needed to be sent off promptly. In addition to making sure the birds were healthy and well cared for, the Head Birdkeeper was also responsible for making sure the urgent letters were sent off with the fastest birds.

The goblin picked up a letter that was marked high-priority, and noted the name with a hint of surprise. Contrary to popular human belief, goblins were cognizant of the happenings in the wizarding world. Harry Potter was well-known among the non-humans of the world, and Daguur had heard whispers that the Beast Council was very interested in the young human. The goblin was normally not interested in the affairs of humans, or their Gringotts accounts, but these whispers intrigued Daguur, and so it was with quiet curiosity that he wondered what business Gringotts had with Harry Potter.

Daguur headed towards the faster avians, and made to put the letter onto one of the fastest owls Gringotts had. He was very surprised when the owl took one look at both him and the letter, and screeched in defiance. Somewhat annoyed by this turn of events, the Head Birdkeeper backed away, and tried to put the letter on another owl. It, too, refused.

An hour later, Daguur's easy personality had vanished, and was replaced with extreme irritability. None of the near seven hundred birds in the Gringotts aviary would take the letter addressed to Harry Potter. At a loss for what to do, Daguur spoke to the birds at large.

"Why won't you take this letter? Why won't any of you take this thrice-cursed letter?" Daguur nearly shouted at the birds. His tone caused some of his assistants to look at him in shock; Daguur never raised his voice at anyone. The birds seemed to also stare at the otherwise laid-back goblin.

When the birds, obviously, didn't answer, Daguur looked at the letter, trying to find out what was wrong with it. Outwardly, the letter was normally addressed, to Harry Potter at Hogwarts, marked high-priority to those who knew what to look for. From his goblin standpoint, there was nothing wrong about the letter, not even the charm to make sure that the letter was delivered to the proper recipient.

Meanwhile, the birds were talking about the letter. "_How can that goblin be so oblivious as to why we won't deliver it? We will not deliver charmed letters to the Council's chosen!_" The first owl stated firmly. The others in the aviary murmured their agreement.

"_The Council's chosen, huh?_" The birds quieted at the voice, which sounded dark and mysterious. Daguur, noticing the sudden silence, looked to see what was happening. "_Sounds interesting. I'll take the letter._"

The darkness which was always present at the top of the aviary detached itself. Feathered forms scattered to the far edges of the room, and both birds and goblin watched in semi-awe, semi-terror, as a large, dark form landed on one of the bigger perches. Even with the extra room, many birds had to take flight in order to avoid being crushed.

Daguur and many of his feathered companions looked on as the form straightened. The lights in the aviary revealed a large, birdlike form, with feathered wings clasped at its side. If it were not for the dark feathers and curved ebony beak, Daguur would have thought it was a dragon. He blinked when the bird's talons reached out, and gently plucked the letter from his fingers. "Ah… that goes to Harry Potter." Daguur nearly whispered.

The huge avian blinked his golden eyes, seemingly amused. Suddenly, he disappeared with the letter. Daguur stood in shock at the whole series of events silently, and decided to inform his superiors about the letter and its carrier. He hurried out of the Gringotts Aviary, followed by his assistants.

"_What was that?_" One of the younger owls managed to ask a few minutes after the huge bird had disappeared.

An aged barn owl answered him. "_That, I believe, was a Roc. I did not even know that one even existed. They were once a part of the Beast Council, but they were barred from membership._"

"_What did they do to get barred from the Council?_" Another curious youngster asked, with a hint of shock that any magical creature had managed to upset the Council that much.

The elder owl bowed his head, and let out a breath of air. "_I'm not entirely sure, but I believe that once, very long ago, the Rocs managed to bury alive every Council elder twenty feet underground, just for fun. No one was hurt, but the prank caused the elders to rethink the Rocs' membership. By the time the Council was ready to forgive, the Rocs had vanished, and so the banishment from the Council stood._"

"…" The aviary was silent after that revelation.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, Harry knew there was no point in trying to get some more sleep. A quick peek through the curtains of his bed revealed that the sun had yet to rise. He sighed resignedly, and then quietly made his way out of bed.

Harry felt a foreboding as he pulled on his clothes. Something was on the way toward him. An image appeared in his head of a huge black shape in the vague shape of a bird flying through the sky. The teen shook his head, and the vision disappeared. _What was that?_ Harry thought to himself. Maybe it was a Council power, Harry mused. Whatever it was, it was slightly creepy.

A stray thought crossed Harry's mind, and he shuddered at the sheer horror of it. Trelawney would most certainly seek him out if she ever got wind of this. Then and there, Harry made a vow to never, ever let mention of this new "power" escape from his lips. Even if a big black bird started to attack and gnaw on his bones… Harry went down to the Common Room to keep himself amused by how far would do to never let Trelawney hear of this, his imagination starting to run wild.

* * *

The Pack made their way to breakfast in the morning, grumbling. Unfortunately, their inner clocks, used to waking up early in the Chamber of Secrets, had yet to be reset. Since it was still too early for breakfast to even be served, Harry and the others had done some light training in the Gryffindor Common Room to pass the time. After their meditation and light warm-up exercises, the four were ready to greet the day and not snap at everyone who even blinked wrong. Still, they would not be okay until they had had their daily cups of coffee. Over the summer, the Pack had quickly gotten addicted to the American drink, and now it was not a nice sight to see them without it.

Before the new Marauders could reach their table, and the pot of coffee placed oh-so-invitingly in their regular spots by thoughtful house elves, they were intercepted.

"Potter."

Harry averted his gaze from the steaming coffee pot on the Gryffindor table to stare irritably at the dark-haired Slytherin that had stepped in front of him.

"Um… who are you again?" Harry asked confused. "Why are you not Malfoy, why are you bothering me at all and more importantly, why are you in my way?"

The Slytherin's eyes blinked. "I'm surprised you don't know and hate all your Slytherin year mates. The name's Nott."

Shade looked at his friends behind him, and shrugged. "Not what?"

"Huh?" Nott joined the quartet in looking confused.

"You said the name's not. What is the name not?" Harry asked, trying to be patient.

The entire left side of Nott's face looked as if it had developed a permanent twitch. "I said my name is Nott, Theodore Nott, Potter."

"I know your name isn't Potter, because that's my surname. I wouldn't know that your name isn't Theodore, because I don't know you, and you won't tell me your name. If you don't want to tell me, that's okay, but could you at least get out of my way? See, there's coffee waiting for me." Harry explained very slowly, as if to a small child.

This time, Harry could swear he saw a wave of spasming go through the Slytherin's body. "The name is in-oh-tee-tee, Potter."

Harry blinked. "Ennoteetee? That's a weird name. Or were you trying to spell 'naughty'? I don't swing that way, Ennoteetee. You also really suck at spelling."

Theodore opened his mouth, but stopped before speaking. His face grew slowly redder, until he looked rather like a tomato. His jaw rushed to meet the rest of his face with a snap, and the four Gryffindors could hear a muffled scream pass through his closed lips.

The Slytherin took a moment to gain his composure, and waited until his rapid breathing was under control. Finally, he spoke. "I give up. Enjoy your bloody coffee." He walked away, a shudder in every step.

Shade blinked, then shrugged. He led the way to the coffee, and all was silence as they breathed in the aroma. Ginny, the less addicted of the quartet, poured out the hot liquid, making sure Harry got his cup first. As just witnessed, a Shadowfang without his morning coffee was not a pleasant thing to see.

It was only after Harry was nursing his second cup, a scant minute later that he seemed to wake up. "Good morning! How is everyone this morning?"

Ginny sighed resignedly as she poured her first cup of coffee. "Do you even remember what happened just a few minutes ago, Shade?"

Harry looked up, confused. "Something happened a few minutes ago?" Ginny sighed again.

Ron looked at Hermione. "We need to see about getting him some coffee before he meets any living, breathing thing."

Hermione just nodded as the both of them finished their first cup of coffee. The pair watched as Ginny poured Harry his third cup, and a few seconds later, his fourth.

* * *

After Harry's fifth cup of coffee, he slowed down. By then the Great Hall was filled, both with students and chatter. Those who had seen Harry's confrontation with Nott spread the story, so by the end of breakfast, everyone knew to never get in the way between Harry and his coffee.

"You awake now, Shade?" Ron asked his friend.

Harry nodded. "Nothing like five cups of coffee to get you going in the morning!" His friends looked at him, amazed at how cheerful he sounded. Then, they looked at Harry's jumbo mug, about three times the size of a normal mug, and shook their heads.

"Anyway, you ready for the first day of classes?" Hermione asked her friends as she ate her breakfast.

Ron nodded slightly, while Ginny beamed, and Harry smiled as he happily sipped at his half-full cup.

All of a sudden, the entirety of the Gryffindor table's plates, goblets, and silverware jumped up and started to run around the Great Hall. Students all around gaped at the sight. The dishes ran around for a bit longer, and then started to congregate in the corner of the Great Hall.

The Gryffindors stared at each other for a second, and then charged after their food. Their food ran away.

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom to find their Gryffindor and Slytherin yearmates waiting outside the door. Several heads turned to watch their approach. Draco Malfoy sneered, but was very wary of Harry's gaze.

"What's going on?" Harry asked casually, looking towards the Gryffindor section. Malfoy opened his mouth to no doubt make a sarcastic reply, but wilted under Harry's quick glare. He remembered well the pain and humiliation caused by Harry on the train. None of the other Slytherins wanted to answer Gryffindor's Golden Boy, especially one named Theodore Nott. Even though Harry looked much more genial with coffee than he did without, the dark-haired Slytherin did not want to risk it.

"The door won't open." Seamus gestured towards the classroom door. "I don't think the teacher's here. What did Dumbledore say the name was, again?"

Hermione frowned. "He didn't." She replied, mentally reviewing what, exactly, Dumbledore had said about this mysterious new teacher. The Headmaster hadn't said much at breakfast. Of course, after Ron's introductory prank, there wasn't much interest in the DADA Professor. It took the better part of thirty minutes for the teachers to figure out how to stop the charm on the Gryffindor plates. Coincidentally, the teachers were able to bring down the dancing dishes at about the same time the Gryffindors' endurance was lagging. Everyone wanted to know who this "Swiftpaw" was, and why his writing was such a bright, neon blue color. Hermione fought off her grin at her thoughts.

The comment seemed to be the signal for conversation to start. As the chatter in the corridor grew louder, the door to the DADA classroom opened slowly. The sixth years stilled as they peered into the open doorway.

Harry's hackles rose, and he felt as if something inside him was screaming "Danger!" When the students started to slowly enter the classroom, his arms shot out to grab on to Ron and Hermione's.

"Shade, what are you doing?" Ron hissed. Beside him, Hermione made a small sound of agreement.

"Swiftpaw, are we idiots?" The redhead cringed at the irritated tone of his Alpha. He felt, rather than saw, Dots take a step back as well. Apparently five and a half jumbo cups of coffee still weren't enough for their leader.

Shade relaxed marginally, and released his friends' arms. "Swift, Dots, please use the common sense that God gave you. A door just opened to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. The classroom, please note, where most of the professors teaching have tried to kill me. Our classmates have entered, and I cannot see movement in the door, nor do I hear any noise in there."

Ron and Hermione paused in shock, their senses catching up to them. Harry was right.

"What do we do, Shade?" Dots asked.

Harry's mind raced, and came up with a quick plan. "Wands out." He drew his own, and watched as his friends did as well. "We go in, together. There is probably a charm on the door that does not let out sight or sound, so close your eyes as we go in, and make sure your hearing is muted. Those senses will not be the most accurate, so rely on your feelings most of all. Dots, go in and aim low. Swift, you're mid-range. Aim to stun or disarm only! If fire is returned, use spells that can easily be reversed. We don't want to send anyone to the Hospital Wing on the first day of classes."

His friends marveled at the commands their friend had just snapped out. Ron and Hermione knew that Harry was a good Alpha, but this just reaffirmed their opinion.

Harry smiled at their determined nods, and walked to just where the doorway began. "Shields up, and close your eyes. Remember, use your instincts. Ready?" Turning his head towards the direction of the doorway, he felt two shields snap up behind him, and raised his own. He took one last deep breath, and leapt through the doorway.

The bright light beat against their eyelids, and the trio was infinitely glad they'd closed their eyes. Inside, there was also a cacophony of noise, some of which made it past their muting charm on their ears. The charms were very strong, though, and they only heard whispers of what promised to be very loud noises.

Harry felt a spell impact his shield and bounce harmlessly off. His wand whipped around to cast a stunner, but his target had already moved. So, he did the next best thing.

"_Nox! Silencio!_" Instantly, there was darkness and silence. Harry cautiously opened his eyes, scanning the darkened room. Seeing nothing, Harry started to tap his foot on the floor. Of course, there was no sound, but that wasn't Harry's intention. His two Pack-mates sent back acknowledgment the same way; through the vibrations on the floor.

Harry calmed his breathing, and counted the cadence in his head. He knew, instinctively, that his two friends were breathing to the same rhythm. Even though they could not hear their leader, Ron and Hermione had spent many hours in meditation with Harry. Breathing, even acting together, was second nature by now. As one, the three raised their wands.

A moment later, the lights to the room turned on. Harry found his wand aimed straight at his attacker's head. Ron's wand was pointing at the stomach, and Hermione's had a glowing line reaching out to ensnare the feet.

Out of the corners of his eyes, Harry saw the knocked-out forms of his classmates slumped against the walls. He outright grinned when he saw Draco Malfoy lying over his bodyguards, Crabs and Boils… err… Crabbe and Goyle in what could have been a very compromising position if Draco's head were at a different angle. Actually… either way it was a picture perfect scene for blackmail. Too bad Harry didn't have a camera with him.

Shade turned his head toward his opponent, and realized that a mask was covering the figure's face. He sighed, and cast his counter-spell, waking the prone form. Brown eyes opened, and stared at the wand inches from its face. There was movement from behind the mask that suggested to Harry that the figure was smiling.

"So, mind taking off that mask and telling us who you are, Professor?" Harry asked casually, having deduced that their attacker must be the new Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts.

* * *

Um... been a while, huh? sigh Well, I've been attending college, my job has reached the level where I'm being called in whenever they need me, and some of my co-workers are deciding to cause trouble. So yeah, pretty much life is so-so right now. My muse deserted me for a while, so that's what took so long.

I actually had a lot of this chapter written a while ago, but one part didn't sit quite right with me, and I didn't really want to post it. So, I waited, and waited, until a plot bunny bit me. So, I took out the offending part, and put in the "Nott's name is Nott, is it not?" scene ;-) I had fun writing it, and I self-beta'd the chapter. Sorry it took so long...

About the next update... it'll happen when my muse decides to come out of hiding. I'm going to try and go get my muse and arrest it for going AWOL, but hey, I'll take what I can get. As for now, check my Yahoo!Group. The link is in my profile.

'Til next update!

Ceres K.


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